New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) To make commuting safe in the national capital, a "tactical urbanism trial" has been launched at the Mukundpur Chowk to test urban design, transportation planning and infrastructural changes for improving road safety.

This is the sixth such trial in the city with the previous ones conducted at Bhalswa Chowk, Rajghat Intersection, Gandhi Vihar, Burari Chowk and the Signature Bridge.

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The intervention area at Mukundpur Chowk where the trial has been undertaken, witnessed 32 serious accidents between 2017 and 2021, causing 10 deaths and 35 injuries, according to Delhi Traffic Police data.

The project has been launched by NGO SaveLIFE Foundation in partnership with the Delhi Traffic Police and support from the Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited.

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"Tactical urbanism trials are temporary, quick and relatively low-cost interventions, which test out urban design, transportation planning and infrastructural changes for improving road safety for all road users, especially the most vulnerable, like pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised transport users," according to a statement from the NGO.

Once the interventions are proven, the government agencies are expected to make them permanent, it said.

The redesigning project at Mukundpur Chowk has led to a 72 per cent reduction in the pedestrian exposure distance and a 121 per cent increase in space available for pedestrians, according to preliminary data collected since the project was launched last month.

On the road safety situation at the chowk, Executive Engineer (North Maintenance Circle), Delhi Public Works Department, Vijender Singh, said, "With an average of approximately 22,000 pedestrians and approximately 1,50,000 vehicles using the Mukundpur Chowk on a daily basis, this location experiences heavy pedestrian footfall and vehicular movement."

"In addition, the intersection also experiences a high level of over-speeding during non-peak hours," he said

Singh said goods or commercial vehicles and cars using the intersection have been seen speeding over 60 kmph, which is considered one of the factors that have contributed towards the road accidents at the chowk.

The initiative at the Mukundpur Chowk include traffic-calming measures such as rumble strips, and conflict zone markings positioned before turns to help alert motorists and reduce speeds, the statement said.

Other interventions include streamlining of vehicular flow by way of geometric design correction using barricades and cones. For users of public transport, the interventions include introduction of dedicated bus stops and intermediate public transport stands near the intersection for easy and safer boarding and alighting, it said.

To improve the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, pedestrian crossing distance and exposure lengths were reduced by provision of dedicated shortest pathways to cross the intersection.

Other measures include a protected continuous pedestrian realm, extended shared space and safe pedestrian crossings as well as installation of way-finding signages, the statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)