E-Paper
From blackspots to zero fatality: PMC uses redesign to turn around accident-prone corridors
PUNE Installation of traffic cones, safety barriers and road studs are all set to transform two notorious accident-prone stretches- Khadi Machine chowk and Undri chowk
PUNE Installation of traffic cones, safety barriers and road studs are all set to transform two notorious accident-prone stretches- Khadi Machine chowk and Undri chowk.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will be redesigning all the fatality blackspots that have witnessed crashes and fatalities said PMC Commissioner Vikram Kumar on Monday, during the inauguration of the first blackspot redesign on Pune’s zero fatality corridor.
“SaveLIFE Foundation and PMC will work on redesigning all the blackspots in the city as part of its ambitious road and pedestrian safety project aimed at saving lives of the citizens. The current pilot project has had a successful outcome. Pedestrians now do not have to worry about accidents, as a separate pedestrian zone has been marked for them. Children, senior citizens can walk safely on this zone without any fear ,” said Kumar .
To save lives on Pune’s roads, PMC has launched Tactical Urbanism trials at the Undri chowk and Khadi Machine chowk. Between 2017 and 2020, the Khadi Machine chowk witnessed 65 road crashes. Undri Chowk, during 2017 to 2019, registered 34 road crashes.
Tactical Urbanism (TU) trials are temporary, quick and relatively low-cost interventions that test out urban design, transportation planning and infrastructural changes for improving road safety for all road users, especially the most vulnerable, like pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised transport (NMT) users. Once the interventions are proven, the relevant government agencies are expected to make them permanent.
Piyush Tewari, CEO, SaveLIFE Foundation said, “As a part of SLF’s Zero-Fatality Corridor model—of which these TU trials are a part—we conduct detailed investigation to ascertain the best possible interventions and solutions aimed at minimising road crashes and consequent fatalities, to save lives. After these solutions emerge as the right choice for the road safety concerns at hand, we work in collaboration with the relevant Government authorities to make them permanent and replicate them within similar contexts. We are grateful to Mahindra and Mahindra, the Pune Municipal Commission and the Pune Traffic Police for collaborating with us for improving road safety in Pune.”
Box
At Khadi Machine chowk-
-The interventions have helped reduce the exposure distance and time by over 30%
-The public realm has increased by 120%.
At Undri chowk-
-The interventions have helped reduce the exposure distance and time by 40%
-The public realm has increased by 314%.
