Bengaluru: Now, poles to deter footpath riders

Bengaluru: Fed up with the volley of complaints against motorists who insist on riding over footpaths, Ulsoor traffic police have found a unique way to help curb the menace. Police personnel, who brainstormed the issue, decided upon a foolproof plan: To use waste and damaged poles (that once held traffic signages) to stop footpath riding.

According to a senior police official, “Ulsoor traffic police found a number of poles lying unused across the station premises. These were cut to three feet in height, welded on one side and erected on footpaths across 100 Feet Road Indiranagar, as well as near the Ulsoor Metro Station.”  These poles also come with reflective stickers, so they don’t cause untold hazards during the nights. “These will act as a suitable obstruction to riders attempting to traverse across footpaths,” the official said. 

Fortunately, the plan has worked smoothly so far and has stopped motorists from riding on pavements. 

“It’s also a good way to utilise waste materials and every traffic police station across the city can adopt this method to curb the menace,” the official added. A police official from Ulsoor police station, who didn’t want to be named, said the poles had been lying around, reduced to rust, for a long time.  “They had been used to erect traffic signs several years ago. If they were damaged or broken, they would be brought back to the police station and dumped in a corner of the station premises,” he explained.

 “We didn’t know what to do with them until we hit the jackpot! We decided to cut them down, put reflective stickers on them and adapt them to a new purpose.” The poles have been fixed so that pedestrians don’t find their path obstructed.

Cost efficient, foolproof!
The idea has been executed very successfully so far and has received positive feed back from across the board, top cops and citizens alike. “We are already identify8ing pavements that are prone to the menace and will have the poles installed in these spots,” said a traffic police official. Welding charges are nominal, as is the cost of hiring labourers to affix them to pavements. “It is cost effective and a good alternate use for waste,” he added.