E-Paper
Blind spots, faulty design of road medians make Baner road prone to accidents
The residents have been appealing to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to build better road medians and eliminate blind spots ever since a tragic accident occurred on Baner road in 2017 which claimed the lives of five persons, who were crossing the road
Blind spots and faulty design of road medians has converted Baner road into an accident-prone area, allege residents and traffic police officials.
On Saturday, January 11, 48-year-old woman was mowed down just 300 metres ahead of Dmart and on Sunday, a car rammed into a woman and injured her opposite Orchid School, near Balewadi phata.
The residents have been appealing to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to build better road medians and eliminate blind spots ever since a tragic accident occurred on Baner road in 2017 which claimed the lives of five persons, who were crossing the road.
Sanjeev Singh, Baner Balewadi Pashan Residents Association representative, said, “We held multiple traffic reviews with the traffic police and also the municipal corporation, but so far not much has been come out of it. Whenever an accident happens we express our anguish on social media, but we need a long-term movement to bring about a change.”
Assistant police inspector Prakash More, Chatuhshrungi police station (traffic), said, “Six months ago, we had conducted a survey of the entire road from Hotel Sadanand to Yashada and found the road divider to be small in terms of height. It was not even half-a-foot which meant that a vehicle could easily cross it over. We submitted ideas for the road, suggesting road dividers at least 2-foot in height and proper markings for the pedestrian crossing.”
The PMC conducted a spot visit, but after that no action has been taken and according to sources, a month ago, Baner road was handed over to the Smart City Corporation, which plans to widen the footpaths and also build wider road dividers.
According to the traffic police, there are 12 chowks on Baner road with pedestrian crossings, but residents find it difficult to walk to these chowks, which are spread at least 800 metres apart along the road stretch.
“I met with accident when I was driving my car opposite Dmart three years ago, since the road median was very low in height and someone tried to overtake my vehicle from the left side. Air bags were released, the tyres of my vehicle were damaged and I suffered cuts on my tongue and my wife had bruises on her chest. I brought the issue to the notice of the authorities, but in vain. Suggestions to improve the accident-prone stretch include raising the height of the medians, increasing the number of speed breakers, rumbler strips and erecting proper signboards in three languages Hindi, English and Marathi,” said Sunil Narshinghani, a resident of Shivneri Colony, Baner.
Several more residents have suggested various ideas to the authorities, like Meghna Parikh, a resident of Baner who suggested speed monitoring and designated zebra crossings at intervals.
