Authorities and citizens must focus on road safety

Zebra crossing and small rumblers outside Sunita building, Santoor restaurant & Jolly Maker 3 junction; (right) Markers for pedestrian crossings

The BEST Undertaking had, in reply to a report in this paper about a senior citizen losing his life after being knocked down by a BEST bus, said that the bus was not owned by the BEST but was one of the many leased from private operators running on certain routes.

That response was part of an extensive report about a South Mumbai citizen, regular walker who was knocked down by the Big Red as he was crossing at a junction. The gentleman was a regular morning walker. The BEST also said in response that a police complaint has been registered against the driver, and investigations are on. The locals are extremely irked and shocked about this tragedy.

There are a couple of takeaways from here, the first of course is the wisdom in cutting speed, no matter which vehicle you may be driving. Slow means safe. The second is, as several locals pointed out, the electric BEST buses are extremely silent, so unfortunately one cannot hear them approaching unlike earlier perhaps. There may be a case where drivers have to honk to alert citizens.

It would be good if all pedestrian crossings, zebra stripes, rumbler strips all have a lick of paint, regularly. Residential areas must have good lighting till the early hours. Local leaders must be looking at spots that need speed breakers and get them installed if that is a must. Traffic lights must work, and pedestrians need to wait for the green till you cross the signal.

Signage, both visible and accurate, is extremely important in every area. Finally, it is the people who need to change their attitude about ‘not getting involved' when they witness an accident, instead extend immediate and all help possible. We see citizens getting involved in different spheres of life, and we must see a change of mindset too. As we turn into 2022, the accent should be on safety in all aspects.