Crash barriers reduce footpath width

This is with reference to the reported removal of crash barriers for footpaths on Senapati Bapat Road and the demand by two corporators that these be reinstalled.

This is with reference to the reported removal of crash barriers for footpaths on Senapati Bapat Road and the demand by two corporators that these be reinstalled.

During a meeting convened by Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi in October for discussion regarding zebra crossings, Pedestrians FIRST had raised the matter of signages and crash barriers installed on footpaths. We had pointed out that signages were causing hindrance to pedestrian movement on footpath. Crash barriers had reduced available width of footpath which was already narrow in certain cases. Due to such reasons several footpaths had become unusable.

Crash barriers are installed on highways as the vehicle speeds are very high, which is not the case on city roads. Hence crash barriers should normally not be required in the city. In case vehicle speeds are likely to be high, appropriate steps need to be taken to restrict the speeds to acceptable limit. Crash barriers are very expensive and should be used in the city only if there is no other alternative and experts have recommended it. We are not aware whether any such recommendation has been received for Senapati Bapat road and other roads where crash barriers have been installed by PMC. We would be thankful if PMC clarifies the matter.

8216;Pedestrians FIRST8217; has not demanded the removal of any crash barriers as it is for the experts to decide whether crash barriers are needed at a particular location or not. It is however necessary that footpath should have a clear usable width of at least one and half metres. Hence we demanded at the meeting that signages and crash barriers wherever recommended by experts should not be installed on the footpath, but at the road side adjacent to the footpath and without any encroachment on footpath. It is for the same reason that we have also demanded that existing signages and crash barriers on footpaths be relocated accordingly. As reported, PMC has now removed the horizontal crash barriers on Senapati Bapat Road. In case experts have recommended that crash barriers are required at some locations on Senapati Bapat Road and PMC is planning to re-install the barriers, we expect that the re-installation will be done ensuring a minimum clear usable footpath width of one and half metres.

Prashant InamdarConvenor Pedestrians FIRST