A total of 758 accidents were reported in this period, in which 531 people suffered injuries. Of the 293 who died, 109 (37%) were two-wheeler riders, while 20 (7%) were on four-wheelers.
As many as 51 others who lost their lives were on autorickshaws, tractors, e-rickshaws, etc. Last year, a total of 1,040 accidents were reported, in which 404 people died. According to the police, lack of pedestrian safety infrastructure and speeding are the major reasons behind high pedestrian deaths in road accidents.
Deputy commissioner Nishat Yadav said in the last one year, they have made some changes at a few intersections, which has helped reduce pedestrian deaths. According to the data, 137 pedestrians lost their lives in road crashes in 2022. The figure stood at 188 in 2017, 202 in 2018, 157 in 2019, 66 in 2020 and 118 in 2021.
A senior police officer said reducing accidents in Gurgaon is a challenge as with new highways coming up, the population as well as the number of vehicles on roads is also increasing. “We rectify blackspots and new ones come up. Despite these challenges, we have been able to reduce pedestrian deaths through various initiatives,” said the officer. “Walkable streets are needed in Gurgaon. It is difficult to travel even two metres unobstructed on footpaths. Moreover, intersections are the places where most of the accidents take place, particularly in the case of pedestrians,” the officer added.
Under the Gurgaon Vision Zero project, several government and other agencies worked to improve road design, apart from immediate solutions like speed-calming measures, signage, cat’s eyes, patchwork, and enforcement. This made fatal accidents less severe than they have been in the past, officials said.
The Raahgiri Foundation, an NGO, has also been working to improve the design of a number of intersections, including Khushboo Chowk, MDI Chowk, IFFCO Chowk, Hero Honda Chowk, Subhash Chowk, Dhankot Chowk, Kanhai Chowk, Farrukhnagar Chowk, Hailey Mandi Chowk, IMT Manesar intersection, and Valley View street.
While government agencies have received several design proposals, only a few of the projects have been implemented on the ground, including the design correction and installation of road safety elements at Khushboo Chowk and MDI Chowk. In the previous year, two road safety trial projects were successfully conducted at IFFCO Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk, for which the design received preliminary approval from the authorities. GMDA executive engineer Amit Godara said they are working towards developing a pedestrian-friendly city and the work on upgrading and rehabilitation of footpaths is in progress.
“Currently, over 93km of footpaths are being developed along master roads in the city, which include 11km on the Rampura-Pataudi stretch, 11km on the 82A/83 sector road in Vatika City, 12.4km in and around Medanta hospital, 15km from IFFCO Chowk to SPR and 56km in sectors 58-67. “For better pedestrian movement, we aim to build several foot overbridges in the city,” Godara said. Along with building new footpaths, GMDA is also focusing on improving the existing footpath infrastructure. “We aim to clear these footpaths of encroachment as well as expand them for the convenience of pedestrians,” Godara added.
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