Forced into jay-walking

Today, I had this strange experience. I had been invited to this meeting convened by Mr A Ravindra, advisor to the CM on urban issues, at the instance of the Bangalore Environment Trust, on the matter of 'road-widening', at 3.30 PM at the Vikas Soudha (On what transpired at the meeting, I will post separately - nothing too earth-shaking, though).

I reached well ahead of time, parked my car in the paid parking lot in the Cubbon park, near the library, and walked upto the Vikas Soudha main-gate. But, to reach the main gate, I had to cross the busy Vidhan Veedhi. There was a convenient pedestrian crossing, with signal lights, though the zebra markings had mostly got obliterated. The signal was showing red as I reached it, and the law-abiding citizen that I like to be seen to be, I waited for it to turn green, even as many people were crossing all over, darting through the speeding traffic. After some patient waiting, it suddenly occurred to me that a whole new cycle had started, even as the pedestrian signal had remained red right through.

I noticed a traffic cop on a platform adjoining the side of the road I was on, and I went over to him to check the matter out. He then confirmed to me that the signal light cycle was not provided with a slot for road crossing by pedestrians. My query to him as to why have the misleading red light even was met with just a sheepish smile.

I then had no option other than to follow the others and dart across the road through the ever-flowing traffic, though I am not quite as athletic now as I once used to be.

Later, thinking about the various other junctions that I am generally familiar with, I now realise that this perhaps is not something uncommon. More and more the city has become pedestrian unfriendly, a clear sign of decay, though some would like to see it as progress.

Muralidhar Rao