Pedestrians say subways unsafe

Despite the fact that there are more than 40 underground and over-head crossings, Delhi has the highest number of pedestrian deaths in the country. Almost 50 per cent of all those killed in road accidents are pedestrians.

In most places while there is a provision for underground crossings, pedestrians are reluctant to pay heed to road rules. They would rather cross the road via the gaps in the railings or at times even jump over them. Pedestrians say that the location of the subways is not strategic.

Since several subways are at a distance from bus stops, commuters find it more convenient to cross the road by squeezing through the railings to save time.

Naresh Awasthi, who frequently gives the underground road crossings a miss, admitted that what he is doing is unsafe, but he does it anyway.

According to a study done by the Institute of Road Traffic and Engineering (IRTE), only 45 per cent of the 29 subways surveyed were used frequently, and only 56 per cent of the pedestrians used these to cross the road.

Remarks an IRTE official, "People find subways unsafe during the night because some are dark and dingy."

The official also said that another reason for avoiding these could be the fact that the entrance to the subway is not close to bus stops, and the only solution could be to move bus stops closer to the subways.

But people like Manisha Gupta, are reluctant to use subways at any time even during the day. "I remember being all alone and followed by a man who seemed to be a drug addict at the Pragati Maidan subway. A similar incident happened at a subway opposite Preet Vihar commercial complex. I now prefer to avoid them altogether ," she says.

Deepak Mukhopadhyay, Engineer-in-chief, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), says, "Officially, all subways should have guards on duty at all times, but one finds them deserted. The recent practice has been to incorporate shops within these subways to inhabit them."

This has helped, as it is found that subways located at Connaught Place and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are ones most frequently used.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and MCD having provisions for doubling the space so that the subways can be put out for commercial use are following the practice.

But shopkeepers are reluctant to set up shops at some subways as lack of people means little business. Some subways in fact can only be accessed after crossing the roads. These are, thus of no benefit if one wants to cross the busy roads.

The one at Gokulpuri traffic intersection is useless after a flyover was constructed over it. This subway is one of the many in the capital that is hardly used by pedestrians.

Soon after the subway was built, the flyover was constructed right over it. As a result, the subway got covered. Both its entrances are flanked by two slip roads running along the flyover. Pedestrians have to first cross the road to reach the entrance of the subway.

"The important aspects of a subway are proper location, safety and provision of ramps. Also, proper lighting and shops inside subways help increase their use," says a shopkeeper who has set up a leather bags shop at a Connaught Place subway.