The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Disciplining jaywalkers may reduce traffic woes

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Monday, Oct 06, 2008
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Disciplining jaywalkers may reduce traffic woes

Staff Reporter

But there are no designated crossing areas for pedestrians

Regular scene: With no marked pedestrian crossings, people are forced to wade through traffic to cross roads.

Kochi: Yawning craters, treacherous cracks and oversized manholes dot the city roads that are choc-a-bloc with vehicles, and wading through the medley is the general public in a bid to go across.

While jaywalking—criss-crossing roads unmindful of traffic flow and signals— is an offence elsewhere, the denizens of the city are forced to do just that, risking their lives, in the absence of proper traffic infrastructure. Add to that indifference to rules, and there is nothing less than mayhem on these decrepit tracks.

According to an independent study, pedestrians contribute to about 15 percent of road accidents thanks to our callous civic conduct. The blame, however, rests as much with the civic authorities, which have not bothered to provide the required infrastructure, as with the jaywalkers.

N.M. Sukumaran, Road Transport Officer who oversees the functioning of Road Safety Clubs in the city, says, “People resort to jaywalking as transport infrastructure is abysmal. Bus bays and pedestrian crossings have not been marked. Ditto with central line on two-way roads. Even traffic signboards have not been put up at many places. Not to talk of sidewalks.”

Mr. Sukumaran says that although suggestions on construction of infrastructure facilities such as sidewalks with enclosures—fencing that prevents people from getting onto road except at designated points—underpasses, foot overbridges and the like have been made almost two months ago, nothing has materialised.

“Rather than blaming it on the public, we should first provide them the infrastructure so that they are not instigated to commit such offences,” he says.

Many people agree that except for the small stretch from South bus stop to the Railway station, there is hardly any proper sidewalk in place in the city. “Whatever existing in the form of sidewalk on the M.G. Road is ransacked by street-smart vendors, shops that jut out and sometimes by motorcyclists who use them when traffic grinds to a halt,” says a pedestrian.

Tough time for police

While the city traffic police do their bit to clamp down on erring drivers, they are helpless when it comes to reining in jaywalkers. Says Police Commissioner Manoj Abraham, “Kochi is not a planned city. It has got numerous bylanes and there is hardly any facility for pedestrians. Precisely why we are at a loss to be stringent in the case of jaywalkers.”

Mr. Abraham says that despite the involvement of many players in infrastructure building, nothing has happened on ground. “The corporation has even prepared some master plans, but nothing has been implemented,” he says.

In January the Road Safety Authority, a body under the Transport Ministry, was constituted at the State level. However, it seems that at the district-level the body is yet to be constituted. When The Hindu contacted a few officials who should have been associated with the authority at the district level, they were clueless about its activities.

As regards Road Safety Clubs, eight clubs have been formed in the city and Rs.20,000 each has been allotted for their functioning. The staff have also been trained. “The idea is to educate students on road safety measures and that will begin in a short while,” says Mr. Sukumaran. But with basic road infrastructure remaining a far cry, jaywalkers will continue to rule the city roads.

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