Fourth among top 10 black spots, Mayapuri Chowk marred by infrastructure woes

A pedestrian refuge island is a median with a refuge area which helps protect pedestrians from incoming traffic while crossing a multi-lane road. Chevron markings are white diagonal stripes between lanes that inform drivers about a change in direction or narrowing of the road and also warn commuters about dangerous curves or sharp turns or roads leading to a narrow bridge.

Apart from absence of other speed-calming measures like table-top speed- breakers or lane-line markings, there is also insufficient lighting at night hours, the report noted.

It stated that a majority of the accidents at the spot occur on the Ring Road or on the elevated portion of the flyover. “The main accident-prone location is the carriageway bringing traffic from Naraina side to Punjabi Bagh as it is a conflict point between three streams of traffic,” experts pointed out.

Ground report

When The Indian Express visited the spot around 1.30 pm on July 1, it observed that the section beneath the flyover had no traffic-control measures such as signages, lane-line markings, zebra crossing, hazard- and object-markers, solar studs etc. Besides, there were no chevron markings to show diverging points of traffic between the flyover and the junction while the cemented road dividers were damaged.

The flyover, meanwhile, saw vehicles coming from Naraina at high speed. The carriageway on both sides of the median strip is too narrow to accommodate the volume of vehicles during peak hours, causing a traffic logjam.

According to data, nine of the total 16 accidents at the intersection last year involved two-wheelers — five of them were fatal. Of a total of five accidents involving pedestrians at the stretch, two led to fatalities.

Officers said most accidents take place at night hours.

Vinod, a street vendor, said, “Vehicles often drive on the wrong side here… it is very difficult for pedestrians to cross to the other side as there is no subway or foot overbridge nearby.”

A senior traffic officer deployed at the junction said two to three personnel are posted at the junction during evening peak hours, adding most fatalities are on the flyover. “Though there are no speed-breaking measures in place, over speed violation detection (OSVD) cameras are set up at regular intervals around the stretch and in-person challans are also issued in cases of violations,” the officer further stated.

Professor P K Sarkar, road safety expert, said footpaths and pedestrian islands need to be cleared of all sorts of encroachment in order to reduce congestion at the spot and allow pedestrians to safely cross the junction.

Solutions

Among solutions suggested by experts, the priority was road signages for proper guidance to motorists and illumination of the location for better visibility.

“Chevron marking for motorists and other road signages like ‘Go-Slow’, ‘Accident-Prone Zone’, ‘Diverging and Merging Traffic’, among others (are needed),” said the report. “There is a need to redesign traffic islands and pedestrian paths and install primary traffic signal aspects on Guru Ram Dass Marg… intersection discipline should be maintained for all modes of transport,” the report added.