This UN Global Road Safety Week, Alliance member Avoid Accident kicked off its new campaign Priority Paths, which is a collaboration with the District Road Safety Committee and Municipal Corporation in Mohali to make pedestrian crossings across the city safe.
Ahead of the campaign week, Avoid Accident worked with the city to survey intersections across the city and create a database. In a series of meetings with the Municipal Corporation, they identified crossings that were unsafe or unusable due to issues including blocked mid-points, preventing people from crossing; faded crossings and lack of signals or signage, meaning that drivers were unlikely to give pedestrians priority; and inappropriate speed limits, making crossing a dangerous activity. 26 intersections were selected for initial work during the UN Global Road Safety Week and short-term and long-term measures were identified.
Following the official launch by the Municipal Commissioner, mid-block crossing points at the selected intersections were cleared of fencing and bushes that were blocking people from using them.
This action was a stepping point, leading to further action. After the rainy season, tenders and other official formalities will be put in place to implement further improvements, including repainting the crossings and lowering curbs to make them more accessible for people in wheelchairs or with strollers.
Harpreet Singh, founder of Avoid Accident, says, “Road designs in Mohali are generally not pedestrian-friendly. We have been doing pedestrian safety campaigns in the city for four years now and we are delighted that the administration is taking the first step to unblock the pedestrian crossings in the city and then revamp all the intersections in phases”
Before initial clearing
After initial clearing
