Bengaluru: A tragedy similar to the one that occurred in Masaipet of Medak district in Andhra Pradesh, where 16 people including 14 children died after a train hit a school bus on Thursday, is waiting to happen in the city.
More than 90 unmanned railway level crossings across the city are a threat to the lives of motorists, pedestrians and school buses which ferry students in a hurry.
Near Jnana Bharathi campus, hundreds of garment factory workers try to cross the track even as trains trundle by. “A pedestrian underpass or overpass is necessary for the safety of the pedestrians,” said Mahalingu, a guard at the level-crossing.
“Last week, the signal lights were not working and there were problems in receiving signals before a train arrived. After several complaints the lights were repaired. If any untoward incident had occurred then, the railway staff would have been blamed. The people don’t understand crossing the track could be fatal,” he said.
South Western Railway Divisional Railway Manager Anil Kumar Agarwal told Deccan Chronicle that guards will be posted at all the level crossings by March 2017. This year, 16 locations have been chosen for building Road Under Bridges (RUB) and posting guards at unmanned level crossings.
Over the years, SWR has brought down unmanned level crossings across Bengaluru from 156 to 69. Next year, around 30 level crossings will be addressed and the rest in the third year.
Some of the Road Over Bridges (ROBs) will be constructed along with the BBMP to ensure smooth movement of vehicles and safety of motorists and pedestrians.
