A non-profit organization has proposed a complete makeover of the road in front of the Sawai Man Singh hospital (SMS) to the Jaipur Development Authority.
The organization, Centre for Green Mobility (CGM) has studied the vehicle movement on the Tonk Road at different time periods to design a model that can decongest the road near the hospital and in turn, make it safer for motorists as well as pedestrians.
The JDA has invited the organization to share its expertise on sustainable urban transport projects that includes street design improvement and intersection design with emphasis on safety of road users.
The heavy traffic on the stretch near the hospital poses great risk to the 6,000 outdoor patients who visit the hospital everyday. At times, ambulances get stuck in traffic jams, when barely few metres away from the hospital.
Sharing the project details, technical head of CGM Anuj Malhotra said, “The survey revealed that the road in front of the SMS hospital is used five times more by pedestrians than vehicles. The design intervention proposes to make the stretch pedestrian friendly by raising the road at the level of the footpath and stone paving it at crossing points to reduce vehicle speed.”
Putting up proper signages and street-lighting have also been proposed to ensure road safety at night.
The project also proposes to pave the zebra crossing with some smooth material to facilitate movement of disabled on wheelchairs.
The road is three-laned on either side but only half of it is used by vehicles during peak hours as the rest is occupied by rickshaws and pedestrians.
Suggesting a way to decongest the road, the project design stated that traffic should be segregated based on slow and fast moving traffic.
“There has been a steep increase in road fatalities in Jaipur. In most cases, victims are pedestrians and cyclists who collide with speeding vehicles,” said Malhotra adding that it can checked by having safe cross walks, a continuous walkway clear of encroachment and barriers.
In a presentation to JDA officers, the team explained clear road width for moving vehicles, organizing parking and vending facilities on the stretch and increasing green cover to allow a comfortable walk for pedestrians and developing a cycle track.
src: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-08/jaipur/38372760_1_road-safety-pedestrians-road-fatalities