Pedestrians get 5 more seconds to cross roads near major metro stns
Times of India | 31 August 2025
Kolkata: Police on Saturday increased pedestrian crossover timings at Esplanade, Park Street and Exide crossings by five seconds for safe dispersal of crowds on roads outside major Metro stations.
"We want people, especially children and the elderly, to cross the intersections safely, without having to run across within the limited time," said an officer. Police plan to install guard rails to ensure the pedestrian island, set up near Dorina crossing, is used by people crossing the busy road leading to New Market and Esplanade in the run-up to Durga Puja.
PWD has also agreed to implement pedestrian safety measures at several central Kolkata locations after Kolkata Traffic Police raised concerns about jaywalking in the Esplanade-Maidan-Babughat area.
To ensure pedestrians' safety outside metro gates, pedestrian barriers will be installed near Curzon Park crossing, close to the East-West station gate, and KMC has issued work order to install barriers outside the MG Road station.
The plan for the pedestrians' safety measures emerged at a recent meeting at Lalbazar, attended by Kolkata Police, PWD, KMC and KMDA. Joint commissioner of traffic Rupesh Kumar proposed several initiatives, including iron-fencing along the median divider on Strand Road between Babughat and Prinsep Ghat, and ensuring pedestrian barricades near Eden Gardens. He said this was necessary during the construction of the Purple Line.