Road Safety: Delhi Traffic Police suggests THIS action to reduce road crashes

To improve road safety Delhi Police has recommended to re-design facilities for public transportation and buses along with removing encroachments on road, reports PTI.

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Delhi Police has given recommendations to stakeholders involved in road design for lowering accidents in the national capital including removing encroachment on footpaths, creating distinct bus bays, and creating stopping spaces for public transportation vehicles, according to officials. Pedestrians continue to be the most at risk in road incidents in the city, accounting for roughly 41% of the fatalities reported last year, according to the Delhi Road Crash Fatalities Report 2021, which was released by the police on Friday.  Sanjay Arora, the commissioner of the Delhi Police, said that a study of the city's accidents from the previous year is included in the report.

The Delhi Traffic Police deviated from convention and changed the word "accident" to "crash" in the annual report that was formerly titled "Road Accidents in Delhi." The report suggested that vendors' encroachment on footpaths must be removed, and designated spaces must be provided for services. It said separate bus bays should be provided at all bus stands extending the road sideways.

"The bus bays should be long enough to accommodate two to three buses (as per the requirement of the point) and provided with grills having gaps only at the position of gates at the bus stands (as provided in case of metro stations having high rush).

"All the major intersections like Peera Garhi, Singhu border, Mukarba chowk, ISBT, Dhaula Kuan, among others, need to be individually designed according to the composition of public transport (DTC, cluster buses, roadways buses, Gramin Sewa, RTV, TSR, rickshaw, e-rickshaw) and pedestrian traffic," the report stated.
It also suggested that a separate halting space be provided for other public transport vehicles like auto rickshaws and 'Gramin sewa' vehicles. A railing can be delivered to separate them and make them stand in a single queue.

"Provide more information on modes of transport to users at the exchange junctions like ISBT, Dhaula Kuan, and Mukarba Chowk, among others, so that people get information about their next mode of transport at the exchange hub. This information can be in the form of route maps of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) and cluster buses like that of the metro route maps to be displayed on the bus stand, at least at the major intersections and transport hubs," the report mentioned.

It also talked about a sufficient number of direction boards for passengers to provide information regarding the availability of the following connecting mode of transport or to reach nearby important places safely through footpaths and foot-over bridges.

"The pedestrian infrastructure, foot over bridges, subways, footpaths, and halting space should be designed and located so as to prevent the pedestrian movement on the carpeted area of the arterial roads, or reduce it to a minimum... "This shall allow the free flow of vehicles on these roads, reducing the conflicts of pedestrians with the vehicles and hence ensuring the safety of all vulnerable road users," it added.

With inputs from PTI