A pedestrian signal seen with ‘unseeing eyes’

There is an unpredictability to how motorists view the dictates of the pedestrian traffic signal near Shastri Bhavan on Haddows Road. To make it more effective, it can be enhanced by a raised crossing; and traffic police could flit in and out of the space to have motorists falling in line

Road users getting by on foot and using the pedestrian signal near Shastri Bhavan on Haddows Road might consider themselves playing a game of chance. (This pedestrian signal’s location pinpoints its chief beneficiaries, employees of the government offices at Shastri Bhavan. But given how time-consuming (and scary) it is to cross any point of the one-way Haddows Road with its zippy vehicular traffic, this provision technically also benefits residents of Anderson Road and Pycrofts Garden Road, as also visitors to commercial establishments on Haddows Road and even a GCC park.

The footbridge being dingy and generally avoided like the plague, this pedestrian crossing’s stock goes up. Only if a sky gazer can miss cumulus clouds and a star gazer, Sirius, can motorists miss this traffic signalling system: the signal is operated with illuminated traffic light poles and cannot be missed even if one tried to. There is a “but” to it. When something is approached with unseeing, self-centred eyes, the most obvious can become unnoticeable. As often as not, motorists view the signal with such eyes. Though they notice the red has come on for them and the green for pedestrians, they might act as if they have not noticed it and drive on.

This scenario plays out when the number of pedestrians crossing the signal is on the lower side. When there is just one pedestrian waiting to cross over, the red light is invariably jumped. One motorist speeding past the signal would encourage those vacillating between obeying the red light and driving on to plump for the unsavoury second scenario. In such situations, pedestrians would find themselves crossing the road and at the same time having to have an eye out for vehicles darting around them.

Besides, when the pedestrian crossing light comes on, motorists might not stop until pedestrians move in and start walking. It is disappointing that pedestrians have to lay claim to something that they should make use of with unthinking ease.

There are two ways in which motorists would be “trained” to respect this pedestrian signal. One, having a raised crossing making it aligned in height with the pavement. It can get motorists to slow down, irrespective of the signal that is on.

Two, the traffic police presence at the signal during rush hour (for even a short duration) every day would train motorists to “see” the signal and act according to its dictates.