Defying rules endangers not just the doer, but others, too

The barricade installed on the divider from NCPA to Princess Street Flyover, at Marine Drive. Pic/Ashish Raje

After its experiment of installing barricades on the median at Marine Drive to hinder jaywalkers a month ago proved a failure, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will now add a horizontal strip to the upper side of the barriers, grow a dense green hedge and install barbed wire to keep pedestrians from crossing the busy stretch, an extensive report stated in this paper.

Various resident associations had been constantly demanding barricading of medians to prevent jaywalkers from jumping over them.

Now a residents' association suggestion of adding one more strip across vertical metal rods has been accepted. There is some sound advice like the rods have to be affixed securely to the median so that they cannot be uprooted. The barriers will have a single colour and there should be no gap anywhere, not even near light poles.

A senior police personnel said that some existing rods had been removed by jaywalkers.

He said they will even plant shrubs/ornamental plants so that there will be no space on the median to place one's foot. Experts though have said there should be an FOB or a subway or some means of crossing this long stretch.

While that is being planned it is important to note that however long the stretch, one cannot jump over to cross. It is highly dangerous, mostly for the pedestrians but vehicle drivers too, need to brake sharply endangering those behind them. This is somewhat similar and as deadly as crossing rail tracks and shunning the Foot Over Bridge (FOB). While this also shows that collaboration between residents and authorities is vital when it comes to area-specific subjects, it is unfortunate that we have to keep improvising barricades on medians to stop people from crossing. Sound sense and safety above all should be enough of a barrier for people, but that is not the case.