While poor road infrastructure in Bangalore puts pedestrians at risk, experts and officials agree that road safety is the shared responsibility of authorities and pedestrians.
Recent data released by the Bangalore Traffic Police revealed a 55 percent increase in pedestrian deaths in the city over the previous years. As of July 2023, 154 pedestrian deaths and 594 injuries have already been recorded.
In 2020, the city witnessed 160 pedestrian deaths and 624 injuries, while in 2021 there was a slight improvement with 159 deaths and 616 injuries. The decline in accidents during these years can be partly attributed to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown imposed by the government. However, as the city gradually returned to normalcy in 2022, there was a sharp increase in pedestrian accidents, with 248 deaths and 819 injuries being reported.
Sharanya, a working professional, shared her fear of walking on the road amidst fast-moving traffic due to the absence of proper pavements. “Walking on the road, alongside fast-moving vehicles is scary and dangerous,” she said. Better pedestrian infrastructure will make pedestrians feel safer and encourage walking as a mode of transportation, she added.
Dikshit, a college student, also firmly believes in the separation of pedestrians and vehicles. “Pavements are meant for people, and roads are meant for vehicles; it should stay that way,” he asserted.
Acknowledging the woes of the pedestrians, an Executive Engineer of the Traffic Engineering Cell (TEC) at Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said that Mysore Road, Ballari Road, Magadi Road, Tumkur Road, and Outer Ring Road have been identified as high-density corridors. Road infrastructure development projects will be carried out here with a focus on pedestrian friendliness, he added.
Dr. Anil Kumar P. Grampurohit, Police Inspector of Traffic Planning in Bangalore, said that pedestrian accidents result from various factors including over speeding, jumping traffic signals, illegal parking and riding on footpaths, and reduced visibility during night-time. However, he emphasised that the absence of well-maintained footpaths and encroachments on existing ones significantly contribute to this crisis.
Prof. M.N. Sreehari, Advisor to the Government of Karnataka for Traffic, Transportation, and Infrastructure, also insisted that the city must address issues such as poor pedestrian facilities and encroachment on the pavements to ensure pedestrian safety in the city.
Issues plaguing the existing footpaths include poor foundations, unauthorized parking, littering, damaged or missing slabs, and narrow widths, he said. Additionally, obstructions caused by trees and vendors, combined with inadequate night-time lighting, often compel pedestrians to walk on the roads. It is also imperative to maintain level surfaces on footpaths without steps or slopes to ensure safety, especially for children and the elderly, he added.
Placing the onus on the BBMP to provide proper facilities for citizens, Grampurohit said that well-maintained pavements with railings and zebra crossings are a must to guarantee pedestrian safety. The BBMP should conduct regular inspections of footpaths, roads, and lighting in the city to ensure pedestrian safety, added Sreehari.
Insufficient grants, lack of maintenance, encroachment, and traffic movement on pavements are the primary reasons behind the city’s poor pedestrian facilities, pointed out the Executive Engineer of TEC at BBMP.
Grampurohit while emphasising the need for pedestrian-friendly roads in the city, also urged the pedestrians, the most “unprotected road users”, to follow the traffic laws and be responsible road users by using the pavements, foot over bridges, and zebra crossings where provided. “Road safety should be a way of life,” he said.
