A danger at every turn

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 10 Maret 2013 | 22.10

NEW DELHI: With around two lakh public transport vehicles, Delhi is better placed than many other large cities in the country. However, lax enforcement of rules keeps user satisfaction down. Of the approximately 65,000 autos in Delhi, only 17,307 are fitted with GPS. Public service vehicle (PSV) badges — which all drivers of public transport vehicles should have — have not been issued to all.

Not surprisingly, women's safety in the transport system, and the last mile connectivity — autorickshaws, rickshaws, feeder buses and the walk home — remain grey areas. For a woman who is travelling, the walk home and the wait on a pavement are as much part of the journey as the ride in a bus or an auto. A recent study by UTTIPEC (the nodal transport planning body) has only reinforced the sense of unease that prevails amongst 50% of the city's population when it travels. UTTIPEC carried out an internal audit of five stretches in the city and found several risky patches due to poor planning and lack of proper street design guidelines as well as transport options.

The lieutenant governor has now directed all civic agencies to implement specific recommendations from the UTTIPEC study. The findings of the audit will also be used to prepare "women's safety guidelines", to be shared with all the civic agencies.

The study audited stretches in Munirka, along with the Munirka flyover, Mahipalpur, Dwarka, Dhaula Kuan cloverleaf area and Nehru Place. The audit, carried out during the day and at night, discovered a number of problem areas, including shoddy civic planning and lack of basic safety measures.

Ashok Bhattacharya, director, UTTIPEC, said, "The absence of proper street and pedestrian lighting as well as inactive edges were found to be the primary concerns." Inactive edges are the sides of roads and footpaths which bracket them. For instance, the main road along the airport flyover near Mahipalpur was found to be empty in the evenings, with footpaths seemingly unsafe as no hawkers or people were around. Nehru Place is "very active" during daytime, but turns into an unsafe zone in the evening.

The LG's directions include a host of parameters that civic agencies will have to follow, including retrofitting of roads, streetlights, public toilets for women, organized street vending or hawking zones as well as opening of wicket gates in colonies for safe movement of pedestrians. "The direction is for retrofitting of roads with provision for more active street edges, ensuring presence of people," said a government official. The LG has also directed that bus stops be properly lit.

That's not all. It was decided in the meeting with the LG that "all concerned agencies responsible for construction, operation and maintenance of roads and public spaces will be made co-accused along with the concerned enforcement agency in case of any criminal offence against women, children, disabled and senior citizens around these bus stops due to improper lighting or darkness".

Other recommendations in the audit are, redesigning open urinals and relocating them close to populated areas like market places. Also, provision has been made for more ladies' toilets and lighting in public spaces and bus stops. The study says subways are unsafe for women due to poor lighting and seclusion while the policy of developing signal-free corridors should be given up to ensure safety.


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