Hyderabad Commissioner of Police CV Anand revealed that pedestrian deaths account for 50 per cent of road accident fatalities. He stated that, “Out of the 247 deaths recorded in the city last year, 121 of them were pedestrians, which translates to around 45 to 50 per cent. In the first five months of 2023, we have already witnessed approximately 45 pedestrian deaths. There is a pressing need to upgrade our traffic measures to ensure pedestrian safety.”
In response to these alarming statistics and to address the concerns of pedestrians, 30 pelican signals, funded under the Safe City Project, were inaugurated on Wednesday. Commissioner of Police Anand inaugurated a pelican signal at the Upper Tank Bund.
The introduction of these pelican signals is aimed at allowing pedestrians to safely cross roads at locations other than intersections, thereby enhancing safety for both pedestrians and drivers. This initiative brings several benefits, including improved accessibility for individuals with disabilities or mobility impairments, increased visibility of crosswalks for drivers, and regulated traffic flow.
During the inauguration, Commissioner Anand commended the collaborative efforts of the Police and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) teams in identifying suitable locations for the installation of these signals. He emphasised the significance of this engineering measure, as existing road crossing systems, such as foot-over bridges, have fallen into disuse due to factors such as lack of awareness and disregard for road rules. Notably, this is the first instance in India where pelican crossings are being operated by trained volunteers.
The operation of all 30 pelican signals will be managed manually by dedicated volunteers. The system grants pedestrians a safe crossing time of 15-20 seconds by turning the vehicular signal red in both directions. Commissioner Anand also provided updates on other components of the Safe City Project, including the forthcoming implementation of Community Digital Empowerment Workstations (CDEWs) and Bharosa centres, with most of these facilities expected to become operational within the next 15 days.
The inauguration was attended by G Sudheer Babu, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic); Priyanka, GHMC Nodal Officer for the Safe City Project; Gajarao Bhupal, Joint Commissioner of Police (Coordination & SMIT); staff officers from the Traffic Department; the IT cell of the Hyderabad City Police; and GHMC officials.
