KOLKATA: The loss of life of a 58-year-old lady on Gariahat Road on Wednesday evening — she was once crushed under the wheels of a bus after tripping while seeking to negotiate the railing at the median divider — has all over again brought the point of interest on the perils of jaywalking. In truth, jaywalking kills most people on the roads in Kolkata.
Accident statistics collated through Lalbazar has time and again recognized jaywalking as the principle trigger for most injuries in the last few years. Be it crossing the road while speaking on a cellular phone, strolling on the street as an alternative of the pavement, climbing over a railing at the median divider or seeking to hop directly to a bus in the midst of the road, jaywalking has ended in a large number of deadly injuries in the city in the last few months. In Kolkata, 31% of unintended deaths contain pedestrians. A find out about of injuries in 2016 and 2017 through a central company had printed that unhealthy behaviour through pedestrians resulted in 18% of injuries. Another 9% was once as a result of they weren’t paying attention.
On Thursday, IdealNews visited 4 major intersections which are susceptible to injuries because of jaywalking and that have also witnessed fatalities in the fresh past.
At Deshapriya Park, where a 65-year-old pedestrian was once run over 3 months in the past, jaywalking seemed to be the norm. IdealNews spotted a number of men crossing the road amidst incoming site visitors while speaking on their mobile phones. Some dodged moving cars to get to the other aspect of the road, refusing to look forward to the pedestrian sign to show inexperienced. Moving east in opposition to Gariahat, pedestrians were found strolling alongside the aspect of the road as an alternative of holding to the pavement. “The whole pavement is lined with makeshift stalls. Where are we supposed to walk?” asked a middle-aged homemaker who was once strolling alongside the road.
The scene was once no other on Mayo Road where people coming from Behala and Kidderpore were observed getting off buses on one aspect of the road and operating throughout and climbing over median dividers even as the site visitors moved on. “We are used to crossing the road this way. Who has time to look forward to pedestrian indicators? asked Shambhu Jha, who runs a shop at Maidan Market.
Pedestrians complained that the indicators exchange too speedy for people to move the road comfortably anyway. At Rajabazar, the pedestrian sign doesn’t even work. “At busy crossings, the automobiles come from a number of instructions and we now have little time to stay tabs on pedestrian indicators. We end up simply taking a look round and darting across the boulevard,” stated a personal firm employee who works with an insurance coverage firm in Esplanade.
Bus drivers also prevent clear of designated stops, leaving passengers with little choice but to get on or off in the midst of the road. On Thursday, rankings were waiting in the midst of Old Court House Street close to Lalit Great Eastern Hotel and at Lenin Sarani crossing despite the fact that there are no bus stops there. People jumped directly to moving buses as they slowed. Cops were busy holding site visitors moving but did nothing to forestall the buses from picking up passengers in this means.
Prosecution for jaywalking invitations a nominal penalty of anything between Rs 10 and Rs 50, relying on the implications of the offence. Cops stated they were making an attempt their best to forestall jaywalking at distinguished stretches, but added that it was once tough to penalize each perpetrator. “Given the choice of pedestrians on the street, it's almost impossible to prosecute each jaywalker. People wish to bear in mind and care about their own lives,” stated an officer.
Accident statistics collated through Lalbazar has time and again recognized jaywalking as the principle trigger for most injuries in the last few years. Be it crossing the road while speaking on a cellular phone, strolling on the street as an alternative of the pavement, climbing over a railing at the median divider or seeking to hop directly to a bus in the midst of the road, jaywalking has ended in a large number of deadly injuries in the city in the last few months. In Kolkata, 31% of unintended deaths contain pedestrians. A find out about of injuries in 2016 and 2017 through a central company had printed that unhealthy behaviour through pedestrians resulted in 18% of injuries. Another 9% was once as a result of they weren’t paying attention.
On Thursday, IdealNews visited 4 major intersections which are susceptible to injuries because of jaywalking and that have also witnessed fatalities in the fresh past.
At Deshapriya Park, where a 65-year-old pedestrian was once run over 3 months in the past, jaywalking seemed to be the norm. IdealNews spotted a number of men crossing the road amidst incoming site visitors while speaking on their mobile phones. Some dodged moving cars to get to the other aspect of the road, refusing to look forward to the pedestrian sign to show inexperienced. Moving east in opposition to Gariahat, pedestrians were found strolling alongside the aspect of the road as an alternative of holding to the pavement. “The whole pavement is lined with makeshift stalls. Where are we supposed to walk?” asked a middle-aged homemaker who was once strolling alongside the road.
The scene was once no other on Mayo Road where people coming from Behala and Kidderpore were observed getting off buses on one aspect of the road and operating throughout and climbing over median dividers even as the site visitors moved on. “We are used to crossing the road this way. Who has time to look forward to pedestrian indicators? asked Shambhu Jha, who runs a shop at Maidan Market.
Pedestrians complained that the indicators exchange too speedy for people to move the road comfortably anyway. At Rajabazar, the pedestrian sign doesn’t even work. “At busy crossings, the automobiles come from a number of instructions and we now have little time to stay tabs on pedestrian indicators. We end up simply taking a look round and darting across the boulevard,” stated a personal firm employee who works with an insurance coverage firm in Esplanade.
Bus drivers also prevent clear of designated stops, leaving passengers with little choice but to get on or off in the midst of the road. On Thursday, rankings were waiting in the midst of Old Court House Street close to Lalit Great Eastern Hotel and at Lenin Sarani crossing despite the fact that there are no bus stops there. People jumped directly to moving buses as they slowed. Cops were busy holding site visitors moving but did nothing to forestall the buses from picking up passengers in this means.
Prosecution for jaywalking invitations a nominal penalty of anything between Rs 10 and Rs 50, relying on the implications of the offence. Cops stated they were making an attempt their best to forestall jaywalking at distinguished stretches, but added that it was once tough to penalize each perpetrator. “Given the choice of pedestrians on the street, it's almost impossible to prosecute each jaywalker. People wish to bear in mind and care about their own lives,” stated an officer.
Kolkata: Jaywalking causes most accidents
![Kolkata: Jaywalking causes most accidents]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
March 30, 2019
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