Activists demand pedestrian safety
‘Careless, cultureless driving on the rise’
KOZHIKODE: Authorities have been promising safety for pedestrians, but road accidents killing pedestrians are on the rise.
On Tuesday, a group of activists from Kerala State Consumer Forum took to the streets demanding pedestrian rights to have zebra crossings on busy roads in the district.
The activists say hundreds of lives have already been lost on these roads due to “careless and cultureless driving” “without even considering the value of life”.
“On September 19 this year, a couple was killed near Koyilandy National Highway after a car hit them while crossing the road. Similarly, many were fatally knocked down while crossing the road,” they said.
Installation of more CCTV cameras, proper signalling systems, more visible zebra lines and priority for pedestrians on roads were among their major demands. They staged a hunger strike at the zebra lines in the city.
“If zebra crossings are in place, there will be fewer pedestrian deaths. At the same time, they will not tend to break the rules and cross the roads carelessly,” said P.K. Sasidharan, the Consumer Forum Kozhikode chapter secretary.
He claims pedestrians constitute half of all road accident victims. The city cuts a sorry figure in terms of maintaining proper footpaths. A majority of them are in worst condition with open drains, overgrown bushes or dumped garbage.
At some of the major traffic signals, including Mananchira, SM Street, Mavoor Road, Arayadathupalam and YMCA, the zebra lines were missing for quite a long time.