The Telegraph spots encroachments of footpaths and zebra crossings as Bhubaneswar observes National Road Safety Week

Power House Square 

The administration has repaired the road between Jayadev Vihar and Governor House Square. Zebra lines have also got a fresh coat of paint, but vehicle riders care little about the sanctity of these lines. “It is not only the case with Power House Square, but almost all the zebra crossing vehicles occupy space. With no space, pedestrians are forced to risk their lives. The traffic personnel also remain mute spectators,” said Luna Patra, a government official.

Unit-I Market 

This is one place that witnesses heavy footfall. To ease the pressure of pedestrian movement, footpaths have been constructed on both sides of the road between AG Square and Raj Mahal Square. The purpose, however, is lost with vendors occupying the stretch and leaving no place for pedestrian movement. They are forced to walk on the busy Rajpath. “The footpaths are encroached as are the roads with irregularly parked vehicles. Because of encroachment by vendors we forced to walk on the road,” said Baidyanath Moharana, a market regular.

AG Square 

This junction is the link to the airport on one side and the secretariat and the Assembly on the other. Though this junction has eight traffic cops on duty, vehicles occupy the zebra crossing leaving little space for pedestrian. “The traffic police only take care of vehicle movement. They are not bothered about pedestrians. We often risk our lives to cross over to the other side of the junction,” said Debashis Mishra, a central government official.

Unit VIII residential area 

This place has several service quarters and in the vicinity is the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology. The administration has constructed footpaths on the stretch between Gopabandhu Square and Delta Square, but street vendors have encroached on them. “Since street vendors occupy the footpaths, we are forced to use the road risking our lives,” said local resident Dinabandhu Hota.

What the mayor says

We have been conducting regular enforcement drives to evict vendors from the footpaths, but they reappear in no time. We are going to be strict with them and penalise them if they continue to encroach the footpaths. We are trying to sensitise people that zebra lines are not for vehicles but for pedestrians. We will seek police help to check such violations. Ananta Narayan Jena

Text by Sandeep Mishra, pictures by Ashwinee Pati