manoj

he cavalcade screeched to a halt. It was in the middle of busy ITO on Wednesday afternoon that a blind man was groping with his stick to find a way through the continuous railing along the central median. The only way to cross the road was the new foot overbridge (FOB), which he knew nothing about, and could not climb. Chief minister Sheila Dikshit got out of her car and shouted instructions. The traffic policeman rushed to help the man cross the road.

It is not every day that the CM spots a fumbling blind man and tries to help. But it is every day that lakhs of Delhiites board buses, walk to offices, and shop at neighbourhood markets. And every day they risk their lives crossing Delhi’s roads infested with rash and negligent drivers. So what is the government doing for pedestrians? Are we modelling the city to accommodate more cars and edge out pedestrians? Times City investigates if Delhi is thinking right.

OUR EXPERIMENTS

After building flyovers and promising signal-free roads, Delhi government has decided to build foot overbridges and subways for pedestrians. And a new addition to FOBs is escalators. Strangely, Delhi government has not seen the past report card of usage of these overbridges and subways to extend the plan all over the city. A beginning has been made with ITO and Maharani Bagh, and 16 other projects will be completed before the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The government is aiming for signal-free Ring Road and Outer Ring Road. Civic agencies have closed all U-turns and signals blocking Outer Ring Road — as on the stretch near CR Park and Greater Kailash II.

MONEY TALK

The projects are expensive. The government had considered undertaking these projects on a build-operatetransfer (BOT) basis. However, the idea did not work. On an average, each FOB costs Rs 7.55 crore, and a subway can cost anywhere between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 5 crore, depending on the extensions and length.

THE REPORT CARD

Experts, however, feel that Delhi is absolutely wrong in its approach. A study conducted by IIT’s Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme (TRIPP) shows that foot overbridges and subways are hardly used by pedestrians. As Dr Geetam Tiwari of TRIPP says: ‘‘People do not want to climb up and down to cross a road. International studies also show people use subways only if they are well-lit and are constructed in front of exits of buildings or near bus stops.’’ The FOB at Bahadurshah Zafar Marg, for instance, is hardly used. Subways, like the one near INA, are now crowded with squatters and beggars.

Tiwari adds: ‘‘At best, the city should have a half subway in which you raise road level and then have a subway below — like the one at KG Marg in CP. In this the pedestrian does not have to go all the way down and then climb up.’’ Rather than keeping pedestrians at grade and regulating traffic flow, Delhi is increasingly trying to do just the opposite.

DESIGNER STUFF

TRIPP conducted a study at seven major intersections — ITO, Africa Avenue, AIIMS, Moti Bagh, Khalsa College, Panchsheel and Old Delhi railway station — and found the waiting time for pedestrians is about 120-180 seconds. Tiwari says: ‘‘International studies show that pedestrians start getting impatient after 40 seconds. We studied these intersections and found that they can be redesigned for shorter cycles. This would not even involve car delays.’’

Another study at AIIMS flyover revealed that pedestrians find it very inconvenient to take the subway because of its location. When IIT studied the pedestrian movement for an hour at AIIMS everyday, it found that 500 people collect in groups daily, and then cross the road. The design of the new flyover, according to the study, has only added to the chaos. The government, has defended the move, saying escalators will also be installed at overbridges.

WAY OUT

Policies adopted by other countries show that all the governments had to make a conscious effort to make roads safe for pedestrians. European cities have framed pedestrian master plans to guide them on policy matters. Asian cities like Singapore have made strict laws, including cancellation of driving license in case of an accident, for pedestrian safety.

Most countries have proper pedestrian crossings. Cities like Copenhagen have not created additional overbridges but have declared streets as pedestrian-oriented or car-free. Proper thought is given to the disabled. For the visually-impaired, London has pedestrian lights that beep, while other cities have tactile strips on crossings. Is Delhi planning right?

LEARNING FROM THE WORLD

Governments all over the world have reduced pedestrian accident rates by adopting a policy well thought out to suit their cities. European cities have fared better than Asian towns. Here’s what they do:

COPENHAGEN (DENMARK) | Adopted a 10-step policy to reduce accident rates and decrease traffic congestion. It started by converting streets into pedestrian thoroughfares or pedestrianpriority streets. The main street, Stroget, was the first one to be declared car-free in 1962. The government tried to reduce the number of cars in the city centre by reducing parking space by 2-3% every year. Space freed from parking was converted into public squares. The city tried to promote cycling by making cycles available for hire at public squares and creating dedicated lanes for cyclists.

PORTLAND (US) | The city made a beginning by recognising ‘‘walking’’ as a mode of transport — a trend that is catching on in America. The government has framed a pedestrian master plan that regards every citizen as a pedestrian even if he is using a car/cycle. Pedestrian districts linked to residential areas with light rail service were introduced. Also, pedestrian walkways and better sidewalks were made. A special department with officials like pedestrian coordinators was created to help people. Residents can now apply for a sidewalk or even complain against extra vegetation on walkways.

LONDON | It started by curbing speed. Speeding laws were enforced and 400 high-speed cameras installed to photograph any vehicle violating speed limits. This was followed by education campaigns like ‘‘Kill your speed not a child’’. A special pedestrian walkway network was created, and pedestrian guide maps put up to help people walk safely through busy streets. ARE WE THINKING RIGHT?

A look at steps that can help Delhi

Strict Legislation
Other countries have a separate legislation to protect pedestrians. There are strict penalties for causing accidents

Curbing Speed
Cameras may be installed to check speeding and negligent driving. This can reduce accident rates

More Sidewalks
Footpaths in Delhi are gradually vanishing. Vikas Marg is a perfect example. Thanks to Metro construction near Lakshmi Nagar and a new FOB at ITO, the footpath has suddenly shrunk, making it difficult for people to walk

Disabled-Friendly Crossings
Beep lights and tactile strips can be placed to help the visually-impaired

Pedestrian Lights
These are favoured over foot overbridges and subways

Car-Free Streets and Pedestrian Malls
The easiest way for governments has been to declare pedestrian streets. These special streets and wayside cafes also form a part of pedestrian malls

Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com
Date Of Publish: 20-Nov-06

__________________
Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool.

manoj

Delhi is fast becoming a city of cars and buses. Experts feel that it is adopting a flawed planning process. Overbridges and subways are being built despite low usage pattern. In an interview with Times City, Delhi urban development minister A K Walia justifies the move.

With increasing number of pedestrian deaths on Capital’s roads, what is the government doing for their safe passageway?

We understand the need for pedestrian safety. That is why we are building more foot overbridges and subways. This would help in their safe transit.

Past experience has shown that people do not use foot overbridges and feel unsafe in subways. Why is the government still persisting with a failed model?

It is not a failed model. We have brought in a new design of overbridges this time. The steps are small, about 1.5-2 inches. If people do not want to climb, they can use ramps or escalators. We are ensuring that people use these. Have you seen the ITO overbridge? People are finding it really comfortable.
But at ITO, people do not have a choice but to use the overbridge.

A continuous railing has been put up to prevent people from crossing the road at grade?

It was necessary to do that because it will help in reducing accidents. We have to discipline people.

Why can’t ground level pedestrian crossings be made?

At busy crossings like ITO and Maharani Bagh, the pedestrian load is too much. So it not feasible to have a pedestrian crossing. This is why we have a foot overbridge.

Aren’t foot overbridges and subways more expensive than pedestrian crossings?

They are expensive but the safest way to cross.

Other countries are discarding these models. Why is Delhi not following other models?

We are following what is best suited for Delhi — foot overbridges and subways.

Has the government considered building foot overbridges and subways on BOT basis to reduce costs?

Yes, we tried but some modalities need to be worked out. At present, the government plans to invest its own money.

Source: http://epaper.timesofindia.com
Date Of Publish: 20-Nov-06

__________________
Nothing is fool-proof to a talented fool.