The pedestrians feel very unsafe with the absence of foot overbridge and zebra crossing at Palam Mod in Gurgaon. The road design is such at the spot that it is actually a very scary experience for people to cross the road.
As per the report of the road safety committee appointed by the Haryana government, the traffic junction at Palam Mod is among the five most vulnerable places for pedestrians in Gurgaon.
The other four are Sector 17/18 T-intersection, Hanuman Mandir Chowk, Bakhtawarpur Chowk and the T-intersection at Jwala Mill.
Now, under the Haryana Vision Zero, speed tables and pelican lights will be installed at the Palam Mod. The scheme was formed with an objective to reach fatalities in road accidents.
Speed tables are installed to slow down the speed of vehicles whereas pelican lights allow control of traffic signals from the sidewalk.
At the Palam Mod, Major Sushil Aima Marg converges with both sides of the Old Delhi Gurgaon Road. There is a lot of chaos during peak hours at the Palam Mod.
Pedestrians said that it is a very risky affair to cross the road at this spot but they have to do it as there is no other option such as zebra crossing and foot overbridge. They also complained that the footpaths are also in a very bad state.
“Every day, I have to wait for the traffic flow to thin out so that I could cross the road. I once saw a cyclist coming under a truck,” Gurkeerat Singh, a resident of Palam Vihar Extension, said.
The officials of Haryana Vision Zero said that there is a big flaw in the road design as there is a wide gap between the median strips which risks the life of people crossing the road.
Between January 1, 2017 and April 1, 2018, 21 cases of accidents have been reported from the spot. However, six people have also lost their lives at this junction.
“Palam Mod is one of the busiest junctions in the city as traffic from New Delhi, Jhajjar and Rohtak converge here. In addition, several industries are located nearby and a large workforce crosses the junction daily. Despite the heavy volume of traffic, pedestrians have not been given any right of way here. Thousands cross the stretch amid moving traffic,” said Sarika Panda Bhatt, programme coordinator, Haryana Vision Zero.
