Key Hyderabad junctions lack zebra crossings, pedestrians at risk

Several major junctions in Hyderabad, including KBR Park and Jubilee Hills Check Post, lack zebra crossings, making road crossing unsafe during peak hours. Commuters have urged GHMC to prioritise road safety by repainting and maintaining pedestrian markings, especially after heavy rains fade them.

Hyderabad: Several traffic junctions in the city lack zebra crossings, leaving pedestrians uncertain about crossing the roads.

Among others, key traffic junctions such as KBR Park, Jubilee Hills Check Post, Cyber Towers, Madhapur, KPHB, Nizampet, Miyapur, Madinaguda, Kukatpally Y Junction, Balanagar X Roads, Khairatabad, Paradise Circle, YMCA junction, and Tadbund Junction, can be found with no zebra crossings.

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Zebra crossings are meant to provide a safe space for pedestrians to cross roads. They are typically painted with bold black and white colour stripes to give pedestrians priority, with traffic expected to stop to allow pedestrians cross safely. The stripes also serve as an indicator to warn drivers.

However, pedestrians lament the absence of marked crossings at key intersections, making crossing the roads less safe, particularly during peak hours. Some commuters criticised the GHMC over the absence of marked pedestrian crossings at key junctions, saying it is difficult to navigate busy stretches.

At KBR Park Junction, the VIP stretch was completed almost a month ago, but zebra stripes are yet to be repainted. A traffic personnel at the junction said the absence of zebra crossing marking makes it hard to stop vehicles to facilitate pedestrian movement.

Police personnel said the problem is more pronounced near busy stretches where traffic moves at speed, and drivers are less likely to slow down without designated pedestrian markings.

Commuters urged civic authorities to prioritise road safety measures, including the provision and upkeep of zebra crossings at major junctions, to ensure they remain visible.

A senior GHMC maintenance wing official said heavy rains cause zebra crossings to fade, and that zebra crossings will be repainted in all traffic junctions, soon.