Vijayawada: The state municipal administration department and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation are on a mission to convert the city’s arterial MG Road into the best part of the city life under Golden Mile Project-Vijayawada.
Plans are afoot to set up intelligent traffic signaling system and kiosks. However, the concerns of pedestrians remain unheard as they continue to suffer walking on the busy road each day.
Either sides of MG Road have several multistoried buildings that equip hundreds of commercial establishments that employ thousands of people. Lakhs of people visit the establishments everyday making MG Road most happening place in the entire city.
There is not even a single zebra crossing lane laid across MG Road for pedestrians to crossthe road between Benz Circle and Veterinary hospital junction, a 2.6-km stretch. This is forcing pedestrians to climb over the median to reach the other side of the road.
Before streamlining the traffic junctions there used to be zebra crossings at the cross road junctions like DV Manor junction and Chennupati petrol bunk junction. They are bloc-ked with the closing of junctions now.
“Every pedestrian has right to move on roads and motorists have to obey it. But there is no single place where we can cross the MG Road without violating traffic rules. I have to jump over the median or walk a long distance to reach the lowest point of median of the road daily in the evening,” said K. Achyut Ram, a resident of Brindavan Colony.
From RTA junction to police control room, there are zebra crossings and a foot-over-bridge near PWD grounds. However, footpath on the stretch of the road is a rare option for pedestrians to walk safely. Meanwhile, on the National Highway stretch between Ring Road junction and Benz Circle too, there are no footpaths.
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