Two intersections in the southern and south-eastern parts of the city need pedestrian refuge islands to reduce chances of accidents and ensure that those who walk across the roads don’t have to rush to cover the stretch in one signal cycle, police have told the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
A refuge island is a small section of a pavement or sidewalk where pedestrians can stop before crossing a road and is a globally recognised concept in urban traffic and transportation management.
The two crossings that have been identified for construction of pedestrian refuge islands are the Patuli intersection on EM Bypass and the Baghajatin intersection on Raja SC Mullick Road, senior police officers said.
Maps of the crossings, complete with road measurements, have been drawn up and handed to engineers of the civic body, the officers said.
“Both these intersections are very busy and witness significant pedestrian movement throughout the day. The road width at the Patuli intersection is close to 40m. It becomes difficult for many to cover the stretch in one signal cycle. The signal for pedestrians often turns red when one is still in the middle of the road,” said a senior police officer who oversees traffic and road engineering in Kolkata.
“We have requested the KMC to take up the task at the earliest so that pedestrians find a safe place to stand in the middle of the road if they can’t cross the road at one go,” he said.
The Baghajatin crossing — the intersection of Raja SC Mullick Road and Baghajatin Station Road — has a market and at least four schools in the vicinity, apart from
Jadavpur University.
Two of the schools are located within 300m of the Baghajatin market.
Police officers said they have observed that school kids often panic trying to cross the intersection during the morning rush hour.
“Crossing the busy intersection is a horror for those who find themselves still on the road, with no safe place to stand, when the signal for pedestrians turns red,” an officer said.
“A pedestrian island at this junction in Baghajatin will provide the necessary refuge to the school kids and the parents accompanying them.”
The Patuli crossing on the Bypass has emerged as a crucial junction on the north-south artery after the civic authorities beautified a lake in the area by installing big lights and putting up replicas of the Dakshineswar temple and the Howrah bridge.
The lake and an evening market around it draw a large number of people every day.
“Without a pedestrian refuge island, the aged find it very difficult to cross the 40m-wide road. We have sought a pedestrian refuge island here so that those who can’t make it at one go can pause on the island,” said another senior police officer.
Civic officials said the proposals will be examined by the engineers of the respective boroughs to find out whether they are feasible. If they are deemed feasible, the spots where the refuge islands can come up will be identified.
“Once the engineers have gone through the proposals and decided on the exact coordinates of the proposed pedestrian refuge islands, we will start the construction work,” said a senior official in the roads department of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.