Copyright thehindu
The demand for more pedestrian crossings on Avinashi Road after the recent inauguration of the GD Naidu flyover in Coimbatore city is growing louder. V. Eswaran, president of Marumalarchi Makkal Iyyakkam, said the 10.1-km flyover constructed at ₹1,756 crore is planned only for motorists and not for pedestrians. “Has anyone noticed how difficult it is for children, women, and the elderly to cross the road?” he asked. Coimbatore city has several U-turns and barrier walls are constructed across roads. Without traffic signals, pedestrians struggle to cross the road, he pointed out. The number of pedestrians killed in accidents on Indian roads in 2023 was 35,221, which is 20 % of the total accident deaths. Pedestrians make up 35 % of Indian road users. Even those who travel on vehicles cross the road at some point. Pedestrians’ accidents are not mainly due to negligence of the road users, but because of the negligence of the government officials and the administration too as the needs of the pedestrians are not taken into consideration. In an order on road safety, the Supreme Court said in October this year that the governments should plan for pedestrian safety. According to the Indian Road Congress norms (IRC 103-2012), a safe pedestrian crossing should be provided at every 150 metres in commercial areas and at every 250 metres in residential areas. Based on this, it can be estimated that Coimbatore needs 300 safe pedestrian crossings or pedestrian signals. According to a Right to Information (RTI) reply that he got, there are just 14 pedestrian signals in the city, which is less than the number of bridges and flyovers, Mr. Eswaran said. Even in Guwahati in Assam, there are overpasses with escalators. In Coimbatore, there is no such facility at Gandhipuram Railway Station, Ukkadam, or Singanallur. “Pedestrian overpasses with escalators and pedestrian signals should be installed at more places in Coimbatore city,” he said “We request the Coimbatore Corporation to immediately develop infrastructure for pedestrians to cross the road safely as per the guidelines of Indian Road Congress IRC 300-2012,” Mr. Eswaran added.
