Peeragarhi accident: Another schoolgirl died near the same spot in April

Residents have been demanding for pedestrian infrastructure such as a signal, zebra crossing and a foot overbridge (FoB) for years.

The Rohtak Road stretch between Nangloi and Peeragarhi is one of the busiest stretches with heavy rush of vehicles, but there is no foot overbridge where pedestrians from the colonies around the road could cross safely.

The spot on Rohtak Road near Peeragarhi where a Class 12 student was hit and killed by a car on April 6 this year. On Sunday, two more schoolgirls were run over by a speeding car near the same spot. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

Residents have been demanding for pedestrian infrastructure such as a signal, zebra crossing and foot overbridge (FoB) for years. On April 6, a Class 12 student was killed on the stretch near Metro pillar 290 triggering a massive protest by the local residents who were assured by the area MLA that a FoB will soon be constructed at the spot. However, two more schoolgirls died in another accident on Sunday --- metres away from the April accident spot.

The MLA has now given in writing that the FoB would come up in six months.

A local police officer said that the closest overbridge for pedestrians is at the Peeragarhi Metro station but people cannot be forced to walk for over half a kilometre to cross the road. He said that the majority of accident victims on the stretch are from Udyog Nagar and Bhim Nagara slums where hundreds of students cross the road daily to reach their schools in Peeragrahi village. “For those children and their parents who drop them to school, it’s a hassle to walk for more than half-a-kilometre to cross the road. Therefore, they cross the road amid heavy traffic. And since, it’s a highway, cars are speeding during non-peak hours too, leading to accidents,” he said.

According to another officer, a highway patrol motorcycle from the Pachim Vihar West police station is available 24x7, apart from traffic police officers at Peeragarhi junction and the traffic signal near the Metro station for preventing accidents. “But the stretch is long and it’s practically impossible for police to keep a check on those crossing the road,” the officer said.

A Public Works Department (PWD) official said that the Peeragarhi junction witnesses one of the heaviest vehicle movements in Delhi. Due to presence of industrial area and commercial establishments on the stretch there is also movement of heavy vehicles along with the regular traffic. In August, the Delhi government had announced construction of two foot overbridges on the stretch but the PWD is yet to launch work on the site.

Maya Devi, 35, resident of Udyog Nagar JJ Colony said that the nearest available FoB is at the Metro station which is about a kilometre away. “We can’t avoid going across the road since all schools are located there. There is an industrial area next to our locality. Therefore, people who reside on the other side, and work in factories on this side have to cross over as well,” she said.

Piyush Tewari of SaveLIFE Foundation, said the traditional foot overbridges have remained under utilised since they are not user friendly. “It is inconvenient for the elderly, for disabled, for children as well as other citizens. So people attempt to cross roads at grade itself. What we need are safe pedestrian facilities at grade which requires mapping of pedestrian footfall. It requires treatment of intersections to make them safe for people to cross over to the other side. Speed calming measures are also needed,” said Tewari.