Tactical urbanism to make Kharadi Bypass safer

The trials, being implemented under an initiative by SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF) will entail signages, demarcations, and repainting of zebra crossings to avoid road accidents. It will be a ‘temporary, quick and relatively low-cost intervention’ that will help cyclists, and pedestrians to be safe on the road

Traffic police along with Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have jointly launched a tactical urbanism trial at the Kharadi Bypass intersection.

As per the traffic police, Kharadi Bypass intersection witnessed a total of 10 crashes in 2021 with two of these being fatal and four serious. (HT PHOTO)

The trials, being implemented under an initiative by SaveLIFE Foundation (SLF) will entail signages, demarcations, and repainting of zebra crossings to avoid road accidents. It will be a ‘temporary, quick and relatively low-cost intervention’ that will help cyclists, and pedestrians to be safe on the road.

As per the traffic police, Kharadi Bypass intersection witnessed a total of 10 crashes in 2021 with two of these being fatal and four serious.

Santosh Sonavane Patil, police inspector for Kharadi traffic division, said, “Any accident that happens here is due to negligence. The bypass intersection is huge. It encompasses several vehicles from cyclists and city buses to heavy four-wheelers. A lot of pedestrians also walk in this area, and many two-wheeler riders are seen without a helmet. So even if a vehicle hits the two-wheeler, the driver is seriously injured. As a result, the intersection shrinks and due to negligence of the vehicles and pedestrians, accidents happen.”

Explaining more about the project, he said, “SaveLife Foundation will ensure that it directs designated parking for city buses and autorickshaws.”

The bypass intersection was chosen based on three parameters: design, how busy and big the intersections are for the pedestrians, and the accident rate.

Elaborating on the road safety situation at Kharadi Bypass chowk, Vikas Dhakane, additional municipal commissioner, PMC, said, “With an average of approximately 22,000 pedestrians and approximately 2 lakh vehicles using the Kharadi Bypass intersection daily, this location experiences heavy pedestrian footfall and vehicular movement. The intersection acts as a gateway to Pune city for the traffic coming in from Ahmednagar and Aurangabad. This intersection is also a strategic intercity bus transit stop. These factors together contribute towards the intersection receiving heavy pedestrian and vehicular thoroughfare. The existing 55-metre width of the intersection makes it extremely difficult for pedestrians to cross it at one go, especially for the vulnerable population including children and the elderly.”

Previously organised trials at Urundi Chowk, Karla Phata and a few other areas of Pune have significantly impacted the intersections. A 48 per cent reduction was witnessed in pedestrian exposure to the road at Undri Chowk, whereas the probability of speeding vehicle-induced accidents was reduced to 15 per cent on account of the reduction in speed to 35 km/hr due to the trial at Karla Phata.

Complete with the pelican signals, the bypass intersection will be designed so that pedestrians can cover the stretch at once. The redesign of the Kharadi bypass intersection, led to a more than 20% reduction in exposure distance, and an almost 80% increase in the space available for pedestrians to manoeuvre.

T-junction

On the Pune-Ahmednagar Bypass and Magarpatta road, lies the T-junction of the Kharadi Bypass intersection. At the northwest of the intersection, is the Pune international airport. This is connected with Viman Nagar and Wagholi along the east-west direction and Magarpatta road in the south.