No Road Safety In Tolichowki

The demand of residents around Tolichowki crossroads is pretty clear. All they want is safe passage, and they warn that it is only a matter of time before this demand turns into a protest.

The residents claim that crossing the road at one of the busiest junctions is simply getting tougher, and want a foot over-bridge to ease their suffering and lessen the risk.

The vehicular traffic on this stretch has increased manifold, with vehicles using this road to reach Gachibowli, HitecH City, the Seven Tombs and other areas. This has resulted in the residents facing an immense risk when trying to cross the road.

The government school close to this crossroad adds to the chaos during the school closing or starting time. The school children are literally at the mercy of the drivers - they wait for the traffic to slow down and then scamper across, darting between the oncoming vehicles. The lack of a zebra-crossing and a traffic policeman adds to the risk.

One of the residents complained that only the casualties are reported, but the minor accidents that are common on this stretch are never reported, and hence, there is no pressure on the authorities to do their duty.

It isn't that most accidents are devoid of fatalities. A resident has vivid memories of a lorry running amok in November 2006, crushing several people.

A resident of Hakeempet, Nasreen, says that, "I dread for the safety of my child especially when I come to drop him to school. I have to wait for quite a while each day just to cross the road. Sometimes I get help to cross the road, but when there is no good samaritan around, the situation is almost impossible."

A pushcart vendor B Naresh says that the traffic signals, too, fail and more often than not they are non-functional.

The residents of the area express anger at the authorities who seem bent on putting their lives in danger each day. All they want is safe passage, and for them, that is not asking too much.

Courtesy: INN News