Pedestrians cross the busy MG Road in Kolkata. Partha Paul The Kolkata Traffic Police has sought expert advice from the civil engineering department of IIT Kharagpur on the feasibility of setting up foot overbridges (FOBs) at various locations in the city in a bid to cut down pedestrian deaths. It has also sought suggestions from the elite tech institute to streamline pedestrian movement at important commuting points in the city. According to sources, the city traffic police department has planned to construct new foot overbridges, equipped with lifts and escalators, at several intersections of the city.
As per the department, Kolkata is home to various crossings and intersections which experience huge pedestrian crossover alongside the movement of a considerable number of vehicular traffic. With the number of pedestrian deaths being higher than two wheeler riders, Kolkata Traffic Police is striving to ensure a systematic pedestrian management system by introducing foot overbridges at the busy intersections, sources said. “It has been observed that a crossing where a FOB exists faces comparatively less congestion with respect to both pedestrian and vehicular circulation and also record a reduction in the number of road traffic accidents. FOBs would also add to the aesthetic quotient of the city landscape as well. Considering these facts, a list of feasible locations, suggested by the OCs of Traffic Guards, is prepared,” reads a portion of the letter sent to the civil engineering department of IIT Kharagpur to study the viability of construction of FOBs with elevators.
“We felt that we needed a scientific approach to deal with issues of pedestrian safety. So the expert opinion of IIT Kharagpur has been sought. We have proposed ‘Pedestrian Refuge Islands’ (small pavements or sidewalks where pedestrians can stop while crossing a road) to the KMC. They are conducting a field survey and will start working on it soon,” Arijit Sinha, deputy commissioner of police ( Traffic), told The Indian Express.
As per data procured from the Kolkata Traffic Police, as many as 77 pedestrians lost their lives in 2021 out of total 196 deaths caused by road accidents last year.
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