More car-centric than pedestrian-friendly: Activists object to raised dividers on roads

An official from the BMC said that space for crossing is given for pedestrians at fixed distances, which differs from road to road, and is for the safety of the pedestrians.

Mumbai: Pedestrian rights activist Rishi Aggarwal recently took to twitter to bring focus on the issue of the civic body raising the height of the dividers on the roads. Elaborating on the issue, he said in a city like Mumbai, majority of population prefers walking short distances and that dividers should not be blocked to such an extent that people cannot cross roads correctly.

Dhawal Ashar, programme head of the Urban Transport & Road Safety for World Resources Institute, India, said, “Typically, in Mumbai, we notice three different types of medians, 150mm, 450mm and 1m high. Except the 150mm median, the other two are not mountable. Pedestrian mode share in Mumbai is over 50% and crossing demand is extremely high all across the city.” (HT PHOTO)

“Flat dividers are being obliterated in Mumbai under the onslaught of the ₹1,700 crore Mumbai Beautification Programme. A densely populated city like Mumbai needs frequent crossing of pedestrians. These are city roads not highways.” tweeted Aggarwal.

Stating that the civic body’s plan is more ‘car centric’, Aggarwal said, “In the name of beautification, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is creating dividers with raised heights. People prefer walking in Mumbai and crossing from specific gaps leads to people converging at the same point and causes bunching up, which causes more hazard for pedestrians.”

“There is always some gap in traffic when the signal stops, so people could cross as per their convenience from any of the spots. Now, they are forced to converge at one place.” He added.

Aggarwal cited the issue of the raised dividers outside Oval Maidan near Churchgate station as an instance and said that such roads which has high pedestrians’ footfall should not have raised dividers.

Prashant Gurav, assistant commissioner A ward, did not respond to calls or messages. Another official from the BMC said that space for crossing is given for pedestrians at fixed distances, which differs from road to road, and is for the safety of the pedestrians.

The officer elaborated, “We have raised the height of the dividers now for the better life of the plants. Previously, all vehicles would emit exhausts directly on the plants killing them. Now, with raised height, emissions won’t be directly on the plants, and increased height also provides better bedding and soil for them.”

Dhawal Ashar, programme head of the Urban Transport & Road Safety for World Resources Institute, India, said, “Typically, in Mumbai, we notice three different types of medians, 150mm, 450mm and 1m high. Except the 150mm median, the other two are not mountable. Pedestrian mode share in Mumbai is over 50% and crossing demand is extremely high all across the city.”

Ashar said that over the last decade, pedestrians are being squeezed out of walking spaces, by the sheer pressure of rising number of automobiles. “If tall medians are installed where there is a large crossing demand, then it puts the pedestrians at huge risk. Streets of Mumbai need careful and sensitive designing and a clear priority to moving people instead of just vehicles.” he added.