Police have written to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) saying at least five pedestrian “refuge islands” are required on EM Bypass between Avishikta and Hiland Park to ensure commuters on the New Garia-Ruby Metro can cross the Bypass safely.
Passengers stepping out of the Metro stations will land on service roads parallel to EM Bypass on the western side. Walking across EM Bypass will be the only option for those who have to travel in the other direction, the police said in the letter.
“There aren’t any subways on the Metro route between New Garia and Ruby. Passengers getting off at the Metro stations and looking to cross over will have no option but to walk across the Bypass,” said a senior police officer.
“We have therefore proposed setting up these pedestrian refuge islands at five points between Avishikta and Hiland Park.”
A pedestrian refuge island, a globally recognised concept in urban traffic management, is a small pavement where people can stop before resuming their walk across an intersection.
A few such islands have come up in the city, including one each at the Dorina and Exide crossings. Pedestrians who fail to cross over from one side of the road to the other during one cycle of a traffic signal can wait at these islands.
Along EM Bypass, the police have proposed setting up such islands at Avishikta, Kalikapur, adjacent to Jyotirindra Nandi Metro station, Mukundapur, Ajaynagar and Hiland Park.
Train trials for the New Garia-Ruby Metro link have been completed ahead of the proposed launch on December 24. Officials of Metro Railway said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the service during his proposed visit to the city on Christmas Eve.
The section between New Garia and Ruby spans 5.4km out of the total 32km elevated corridor till the airport.
“We have started setting up iron guardrails on either side of the median divider below the Metro viaduct to stop indiscriminate crossovers on EM Bypass in keeping with the proposal by the police,” said an official of the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited, the agency executing the Metro project.
A civic official said the KMC has conducted a preliminary inspection of some spots where the police have proposed the islands. “A list is being prepared for points where the islands will be built in phases by the end of next year,” said the official.