Crossing Roads Pedestrians Risk Life!

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Pedestrians crossing roads at busy areas in Guwahati has long been a menace. The situation is fraught with the risk of people losing life and limb.

It is a fact that footbridges are very few in Guwahati. It is also a fact that the few footbridges in the city are left unused by pedestrians who have the habit of risking their lives while crossing roads.

The bus stop on MG Road at Fancy Bazar in Guwahati can be taken as a case study. People from the bus stop in the side of the river bank go to Fancy Bazar for shopping. Also people coming out from Fancy Bazar after shopping have to cross the road to come to the bus stop on the river side. The divider works as a barrier for the pedestrians to cross the road at that spot. The divider has railings over it so as not to allow people to cross from either of the sides over it there. There is a signboard erected there by Guwahati Traffic Police (GTP) letting pedestrians know that the road can be crossed from either side of the road at a few spots – a few metres towards the side of the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) and a few metres towards the Muchkhowa side. These spots are safe for pedestrians to cross the road. However, there are no takers of this instruction from the GTP. Every now and then, pedestrians going for shopping to Fancy Bazar and coming out from Fancy Bazar are seen crossing the road over the divider and the railings over it, risking their lives. Even women and children are also seen taking such misadventures.

On their part, traffic police personnel say that all instructions have been given for the public, but they are not ready to follow. “They can risk their lives, but cannot walk a few metres to cross the road safely,” traffic police personnel said.

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