E-Paper
Dark streets, reckless speeds leave residents prone to accidents; denizens demand action
Residents of Gomti Nagar Extension have taken matters into their own hands by initiating a crowdfunding campaign to install solar cameras.
LUCKNOW While the road network in certain areas of Lucknow boasts smooth surfaces and quality construction, the corresponding traffic safety measures in these locales remain disappointingly inadequate. Areas such as 1090 crossing, near Janeshwar Mishra Park, Vrindavan Colony, Gomti Nagar Extension, and Ashiyana are unfortunately unmanned, often shrouded in darkness, with no traffic safety measures in place to manage overspeeding vehicles.
Two-wheelers and four-wheelers frequently exploit the lack of bylanes or sharp turns on these stretches of roads, indulging in speeding without restraint. Particularly during the early hours of the day, joyriders and confident traffic swervers pose a significant danger to fellow commuters and pedestrians, turning these areas into hotspots for road accidents caused by overspeeding.
ITMS fails, citizens take charge
Residents of Gomti Nagar Extension have taken matters into their own hands by initiating a crowdfunding campaign to install solar cameras. This move comes as a response to the failure of cameras installed under the Intelligent Traffic Management System (ITMS). Umashankar Dubey, Lucknow Jan Kalyan Mahasamiti president, said, “We identified 15 places in Gomti Nagar Extension where we plan to install solar cameras through public funding.”
The access to these solar cameras will be provided to the Gomti Nagar Extension police station. The decision to install these cameras stems from the perceived failure of the Smart City and ITMS initiatives, coupled with the escalating frequency of accidents in the area. Dubey highlighted, “The places we identified were more prone to accidents and rash driving.”
Unlit roads in Ashiyana turn deadly
Govind Prasad Maurya, founder of Unnad Tennis Academy in Ashiyana, raised concerns about the lack of speed breakers and rumble strips on the road in front of their institution. He also said that the children from his tennis academy aside, the Stela Maris School and Dream World is also located in the area facing NABARD road, meaning that a few times in the day, several children filter out into the accident prone streets. Additionally, the absence of streetlights exacerbates the risk of accidents, especially with the presence of reckless drivers. Maurya said, “In the wee hours, the way some cars drive around here can only be described as madness.”
Despite efforts to communicate these issues to the authorities, no steps have been taken to rectify the situation. Maurya recounted, “We had spoken with the then DCP Traffic a couple of times regarding no lights or speed breakers, and how speeding vehicles pose a risk to the children.”
Almost 10 accidents in 2 years; pleas for safety ignored
A recent tragic accident in front of Eldeco Saubhagyam at Vrindavan Colony, involving two minors and an adult on a scooty, highlights the area’s vulnerability to overspeeding accidents. The road from Eldeco Saubhagyam to PGI Trauma and the Defence Expo area within Vrindavan Yojana is accident-prone. The incident, which resulted in the death of both children, adds to the toll of approximately 10 minor and major accidents in the past two years.
Vishal Saxena, president of Vrindavan Residents’ Federation, lamented, “In the last two years, there must have been at least 10-12 big and small accidents here. We have appealed to the administration authorities many times, but to no avail.” Saxena pointed out the urgency of the situation, stating, “The cars drive here at such speed that sometimes it feels like no less than a race track.”
