City Police Commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar took the BBMP to task for installing faulty speed-breakers in the city.
Speaking after the launch of the pedestrian safety campaign ‘Sugama Safewalk’, he said, “The city police are ready to conduct a sensitisation programme for BBMP staffers on installation of speed-breakers properly.”
Auradkar said speed-breakers were put on main roads instead of crossroads and narrow lanes in the city, where they were required most.
Managing traffic is a headache, and the BBMP and city police should share the responsibility, he added.
He also emphasised that both the agencies should see to it that people do not waste time on roads, by ensuring the smooth flow of traffic.
“People waste a lot of time due to traffic congestion. It is our responsibility to minimise this,” he said.
Auradkar said, in spite of many campaigns, the police and BBMP were unable to reach out to the public.
“There are less footpaths in the city, and many of them are encroached. Motorists ride vehicles on footpaths leaving no room for pedestrians,” he said.
“I appeal to people not to trouble pedestrians,” he requested.
BBMP Engineer-in-Chief M Rangaraju said speed-breakers were installed after proper research as well as consultation with the Police Department. “The BBMP is open for improvement,” he added.
Professor and Head of the Department of Epidemiology, NIMHANS, Dr G Gururaj said even car users need to walk on roads.
He said the safety of pedestrians should be the prime concern.
“This year as many as 400 pedestrians were killed in accidents. Most of them were youngsters. Many of them land up in hospital with permanent injuries. I have seen many cases where many of them will spend their life being bed-ridden,” he said.
Dr Gururaj said road safety was a serious issue and long term solutions needed to be adopted. Speeding is the main reason for accidents, he added.
“A large number of pedestrians are killed while crossing the road. They are hit by vehicles on the middle of the road when people try to cross the roads in a haphazard way,” he said.
Footpaths have disappeared and elevated paths are not being used by pedestrians.