Getting ready for Commonwealth Games
Work is going on furious pace to get New Delhi ready for Commonealth Games. Chief Minister of Delhi is talking about engaging agencies to make Delhi public more pleasant in their behaviour. Being rude and unreliable are the pillars of public behaviour of Delhiites and I wish there is some way these pillars could be shaken as suggested by the Chief Minister. I have not seen any perceptible change on this front so far.
There is plenty of action on the infrastructure front. There has been a lot of beautification drives which has caused hardship to vegetable vendors and other hawkers. Some sidewalks have vanished and plants have sprouted in their place.
There are large green boards in important roads with the name of locations painted in white. Some of the boards on the footpaths at low level where the traffic tends to move fast. A person on a two wheeler or a car would not be able to see it especially if there is large vehicle like a bus, pickup van or a truck to the left in moderate to heavy traffic.
The display of names of roads in round abouts is odd. Since traffic keeps to left in India, it flows in clockwise direction at round abouts. In places like Shanti Path, the road names in English at round abouts are facing the traffic while the road names in Hindi have been mentioned at the backside of English names which means the traffic has to flow in anticlock wise direction at round abouts for a person to read the road names in Hindi !
There are some other odd signages. There are a couple of large boards indicating "India Gate" at Daula Kuan grade seperator. The route to India Gate from Daula Kuan is about 10 km through a zig zag of roads and I fail to understand what these boards would achieve other than confusing the motorists.
In the hurry to speed up traffic and reduce traffic snarls, pedestrians have been forgotten. Provisions for pedestrian to cross over is non existent at major junctions. There is no way one can cross the laberynthe of roads at Daula Kuan and AIIMS grade seperators. As a result one can see pedestrians in road underpasses creating danger for themselves and the motorists. Added to this, buses and other modes of public transport tend to stop as they come down from a flyover or come up from an underpass to disgorge and take in passengers. This also makes pedestrians vulnerable.
It is not too late. Provisions can be made for safe passage for pedestrians to cross over. Our infrastructure developments tend to leave public on the lurch. Some serious thought has to be given for facilities for pedestrians.
There is plenty of action on the infrastructure front. There has been a lot of beautification drives which has caused hardship to vegetable vendors and other hawkers. Some sidewalks have vanished and plants have sprouted in their place.
There are large green boards in important roads with the name of locations painted in white. Some of the boards on the footpaths at low level where the traffic tends to move fast. A person on a two wheeler or a car would not be able to see it especially if there is large vehicle like a bus, pickup van or a truck to the left in moderate to heavy traffic.
The display of names of roads in round abouts is odd. Since traffic keeps to left in India, it flows in clockwise direction at round abouts. In places like Shanti Path, the road names in English at round abouts are facing the traffic while the road names in Hindi have been mentioned at the backside of English names which means the traffic has to flow in anticlock wise direction at round abouts for a person to read the road names in Hindi !
There are some other odd signages. There are a couple of large boards indicating "India Gate" at Daula Kuan grade seperator. The route to India Gate from Daula Kuan is about 10 km through a zig zag of roads and I fail to understand what these boards would achieve other than confusing the motorists.
In the hurry to speed up traffic and reduce traffic snarls, pedestrians have been forgotten. Provisions for pedestrian to cross over is non existent at major junctions. There is no way one can cross the laberynthe of roads at Daula Kuan and AIIMS grade seperators. As a result one can see pedestrians in road underpasses creating danger for themselves and the motorists. Added to this, buses and other modes of public transport tend to stop as they come down from a flyover or come up from an underpass to disgorge and take in passengers. This also makes pedestrians vulnerable.
It is not too late. Provisions can be made for safe passage for pedestrians to cross over. Our infrastructure developments tend to leave public on the lurch. Some serious thought has to be given for facilities for pedestrians.
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