Her hands laden with heavy bags, a woman anxiously awaits her turn to cross the road near the Government Hospital for Women and Children at Kottapparamba in the city on Sunday morning. Near her stands a little girl who seems visibly shaken as vehicles speed past her. They wait for nearly 10 minutes as no one bothers to slow down or stop their vehicles to make way for them. Finally, they cross the road, disregarding speeding motorists.
The experience is the same for most pedestrians in Kozhikode. Street vendors who hog the pavements and motorists with poor lane discipline make walking on city roads a nightmarish experience. The death of 35 pedestrians last year in Kozhikode city limits alone unveils the magnitude of the issue.
“There are over 20 major zebra crossings between on Kozhikode-Elathur stretch of the National Highway. During peak hours, there are traffic police officers and homeguards to help pedestrians. That points to the poor behaviour on the part of motorists who do not care for pedestrians in the absence of the police,” says M.D. Vijayan, a retired government employee from Elathur. He adds that even the elderly are not given due attention by motorists.
One-way traffic
Vipin Mathew, a hotel management student, says roads without one-way traffic regulation and narrow pavements continue to be the most dangerous spots for pedestrians, especially senior citizens. “Though student volunteers representing the Red Cross, NCC and SPC come to the rescue of helpless people on weekdays, their absence is felt immensely on weekends when drivers enjoy full freedom,” he adds.
Motor Vehicles Department (MVD) officials say unlicensed drivers and those using mobile phones at the wheel pose a huge threat to pedestrians. Regional Transport Officer (Enforcement) P.M. Shabeer says his squads accord priority to tracing such drivers to ensure pedestrians’ safety. “During last week’s inspection, we caught 47 unlicensed drivers and 10 others who used mobile phones while driving.”
Policemen attached to the city traffic say drunk driving and speed limit violations remain major concerns. They point out that over-speeding was the cause of 2,985 road accidents in Kerala last year. “As frequent checks are the only practical solution, we have increased the number of patrol squads on roads,” they add.
Last year, the total number of road accident deaths in Kozhikode City alone was 154. In Kozhikode Rural police district, the number was 187. It accounts for about 8% of the total road accident deaths in Kerala in 2018.