In a bid to make Bengaluru roads safe for all, an NGO in partnership with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Karnataka Police on Wednesday launched a temporary, low-cost intervention to test out road safety strategies at Attibele Junction. Known as a Tactical Urbanism Trial, this is the third such activity undertaken in Bengaluru, the NGO said.
Attibele Junction is a key intersection on the southeast border between Bengaluru in Karnataka and Hosur in Tamil Nadu. According to the NGO SaveLIFE Foundation, as per the Karnataka State Police records there were as many as 32 road accidents within a 1 km radius of the intersection between 2020 and 2022, 10 of which were fatal. Tactical Urbanism (TU) trials are temporary, quick and relatively low-cost interventions that assist in testing out urban design, transportation planning and infrastructural changes to improve road safety for all road users, especially the most vulnerable ones such as pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised transport users.
READ | Vande Bharat trains between Bengaluru – Coimbatore and Mangaluru – Madgaon launched. Full details
Once the interventions are proven, the relevant government agencies are expected to make these interventions permanent, it said. Located at the crossroads of National Highway 44, and roads connecting to Sarjapur on one side and Anekal on the other, the intersection lies in close proximity to the Attibele industrial area. The location, with various factories, is a significant thoroughfare as it also serves as a major transit hub for interstate commuters using public transport.
The crossings at the intersection alone are used by an average of approximately 34,000 pedestrians, and 71,000 vehicles pass through the intersection daily. Speaking about the interventions, Dr M V Rajeev Gowda, Vice Chairman, State Institute for Transforming Karnataka (Policy Planning Commission), Government of Karnataka, said, “The ractical redesign at Attibele Junction is a timely and essential project that not only enhances safety but sets a replicable model for the entire state. “It showcases our government’s commitment to reducing road crashes and fatalities. This trial is a progress in road safety in Karnataka and a stepping stone toward a safer future for all road users.”
In a statement, the NGO said, “The major TU interventions undertaken at Attibele Junction include the demarcation of travel lanes for streamlining vehicular and pedestrian movement, demarcation of a Safe School Zone with dedicated pick-up and drop-off spaces and parking facilities, traffic calming measures such as transverse and longitudinal bar markings and manual signalisation at the Junction.”
READ | Tamil Nadu: Seven people fined ₹50,000 each for hunting spotted deer in Hosur
Other significant interventions include the earmarking of a dedicated space for bus stops and Intermediate Para-Transit (IPT) stands near the intersection, as well as the creation of dedicated parking spaces, it said.
The trial also included community engagement workshops at two nearby schools, the Sri Jayabharathi Co-operative Primary School and High School in Attibele. Piyush Tewari, Founder and CEO SaveLIFE Foundation, said, “The Tactical Urbanism trials undertaken by SLF within its Zero Fatality Corridor programme use data, evidence and design thinking to determine the best possible solutions for saving lives.”
The redesigning at the Attibele Junction has led to a 60.35% reduction in the total pedestrian exposure distance and a 165% increase in the public space available for pedestrians, the NGO said.
