Amid speeding traffic, pedestrians find it tough to cross at zebra lines in Kozhikode on September 26.
| Photo Credit: K. Ragesh
The rising number of road accidents at crosswalks in Kozhikode district has cast a grim shadow over pedestrian safety, raising concerns among both the public and law enforcement. Despite frequent directives from the Kerala State Human Rights Commission and repeated calls for urgent intervention from civic bodies, enforcement units of the police and Motor Vehicles department (MVD) have shown little initiative, with no special drives to curb reckless speeding.In several parts of Kozhikode city, private bus drivers and taxi operators continue to disregard pedestrian rights at marked crossings, even in areas monitored by closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras linked to police control rooms. Major junctions such as Mananchira, Palayam, Medical College, Eranhipalam, Thondayad, and Malaparamba have been flagged as high-risk zones where motorists routinely fail to slow down or stop, rushing instead to beat traffic signals.Pedestrians near the Kozhikode railway station, Mofussil bus stand, and KSRTC bus stand face similar risks. The situation is particularly alarming for schoolchildren, with teachers from several educational institutions along national and State highways complaining that students struggle to cross roads safely due to speeding vehicles. They point out that the absence of strong enforcement mechanisms only adds to the danger.The recent death of a 72-year-old man, Gopalan of Ulliyeri, has underscored the seriousness of the issue. On September 26, he was struck by a speeding car while walking across the zebra crossing near the Mofussil bus stand around 6.30 a.m. He had just alighted from a bus and was on his way to the Kozhikode Government General Hospital for an eye check-up. The impact threw him nearly 25 metres from the spot. He was rushed to a nearby private hospital but was declared dead within minutes.Another pedestrian, Shahida of Koyilandy, sustained a severe head injury and was admitted to the same hospital in critical condition. Family members of the victims alleged that the driver, a doctor by profession, was under the influence of alcohol, but the police failed to book him under stricter legal provisions. They claimed he was allowed to walk free without proper verification or medical testing.Meanwhile, a senior police officer with the City traffic, however, countered these allegations, stating that additional charges would be invoked once the investigation team completed its probe, recorded witness statements, and examined CCTV footage from the accident site. Meanwhile, enforcement squads of the MVD continue to face criticism from city residents for their “weak checks” on violators who flout traffic rules and endanger pedestrians. Leaders of residents’ forums at Eranhipalam and Mavoor Road argue that citing manpower shortage for inadequate speed monitoring only makes the city more hazardous for walkers. Published - September 26, 2025 07:33 pm IST
