Vanishing zebra crossings put pedestrians in a fix

​Hyderabad: In what comes as a major embarrassment for the civic authorities and cause of great concern for pedestrians, zebra crossings across the length and breadth of the city are vanishing fast, thanks to official lethargy.

Lack of zebra and pelican crossings in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) limits has been a nightmare for the denizens, especially students and women. About 60 per cent of pelican crossings have been vanished due to several developmental works and apathy of civic authorities, who have never bothered about 75 per cent of pedestrians, who have been walking on the road either to take the public transport or to reach their destination on foot.

The civic authorities have even violated the norm that for every 250 to 300 metres, there should be at least a crossing for pedestrians.

A Priyanka Rao, a resident of Tarnaka, sharing her experience said thanks to the ongoing Metro Rail works at Sangeet Junction, the pelican crossings on four sides of the junction had vanished. She said even though work has been completed, the civic body was yet to mark the zebra crossing.

“The absence of zebra crossing has been posing grave threat as motorists have been leaving no space to cross the road,” she said.

K Niranjan, who takes public transport to reach his office at Jubilee Hills Check Post said the pelican crossing at Annapura Studios and Jubilee Hills Junction had vanished several months ago. He said the pedestrian commuting from Madhapur to Jubilee Hills had also no place to cross the road.

“Of late, several accidents have been reported in both the stretches and the civic body is taking away right of pedestrians by not marking the zebra crossings. Don't we have the right to walk on the road or do we have to risk our lives just to cross the road?” he asked.

Speaking to The Hans India, Vaada Foundation founder and president Suresh Raju said either traffic or civic officials had never bothered to hold campaigns to raise awareness regarding pelican crossings. He said it had become a herculean task for him to fight with the civic authorities. “I do not understand why civic authorities have been giving importance to 25 per cent motorists and four wheelers by ignoring the rights of 75 per cent pedestrians,” he said.

When queried about the same subject, a senior GHMC official said the civic body along with traffic department would mark the pelican crossing and lanes with an estimated cost of Rs 1 lakh at every junction. The official said he had already instructed the executive engineers to take up the works with immediate effect and show visible results in a week.