[sustran] On city roads, divided, we stand

[Vinay Baindur]

On city roads, divided, we stand
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=On+city+roads,+Divided,+we+stand&artid=KgmspykeHvs=&SectionID=Qz/kHVp9tEs=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=UOaHCPTTmuP3XGzZRCAUTQ==&SEO=BCTP,%20traffic,%20RCC,%20cement%20concrete

BANGALORE: The Bangalore City Traffic Police (BCTP) is leaving no stone
unturned to bring down the number of road accidents, particularly the fatal
ones.
The latest attempt at bringing in traffic discipline is the laying of
reinforced cement concrete (RCC) medians, which has come under criticism
from the public for various reasons. Additional Commissioner of Police
(Traffic & Security) Praveen Sood said that the traditional concrete blocks,
boulders and iron grills road medians in the city are being replaced with
RCC median.
“The rate of road accidents will come down by 15 per cent once the RCC
medians are in place. There were a lot of disadvantages in the earlier types
of road medians, which had also become a cause for accidents,” he added.
Sood informed that the new RCC median will be painted with reflective paints
with B-TRAC’s one-meter high reflective hazard markers at the ends and
reflective median markers on the top of the medians. “The RCC median is
durable and has a long life. Owing to their toughness, these medians cannot
be broken or removed, as it was being done by road-users for their
convenience earlier. Moreover, it looks clean,” he said.
“There is no need for road medians if our traffic was disciplined. The RCC
median is 40 cm in height and is laid on the roads, which are at least 14
mts wide. This can improve traffic behaviour among the motorists. Once this
is done, parking enforcement would be the department’s duty,” Sood added.
He said that a vehicle involved in a road accident cannot run over to the
other side of the road and kill or injure other persons if these medians are
put. “By April-end, the work of laying RCC road medians collectively done by
the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the BCTP, will be
completed,” Sood added. Sood claimed that even after an increase in the area
of the city, the number of fatal accidents have come down when compared to
previous years. That apart, a project to put high-rise medians for a few
roads, on the lines of Delhi, is in the pipeline. “High-rise medians of 90
cm would be put in the place of existing iron grills median. This can be
done only when pedestrian facilities like sub-way or skywalks are provide,”
Sood said.
BBMP Chief Engineer (Major Roads) Chikkarayappa said that the total cost of
the project (RCC median) is Rs 10 crore. “Out of 65 km identified in the
city, 24 km have been covered,” he added
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