Soon, city to have 25 3D zebra crossings

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC)’s Road Department has decided to paint three-dimension (3D) zebra crossings at 25 major chowks (squares) in the city. The first three-dimension zebra crossing was painted on BMCC Road in Deccan Gymkhana area on an experimental basis. After that, the civic body wants to create three-dimension zebra crossings at major chowks across the city after consultation with the Pune Traffic Police Department. 

As per Pune city traffic police’s initiative to use 3D zebra crossing in the optical design to grab the attention of drivers to slow their vehicles down, the PMC’s Road Department had created the 3D zebra crossing on BMCC Road on an experimental basis in November 2019.  

According to the PMC Road Department, the 3D zebra crossing is serving its purpose and giving good results. 

Hence, the civic body has proposed to paint 3D zebra crossings at all main chowks across the city. 

The PMC Road Department has mentioned it in the recently drafted PMC Budget-2020-21. 

According to officials of the PMC Road Department, Alka Talkies Chowk, Swargate Chowk, Pune station, Juna Bazaar Chowk, Wadia College Chowk, Yerawada Chowk, Shastri Nagar Chowk and others will be painted with 3D zebra crossings.

While speaking to Sakal Times, PMC Road Department Chief Superintendent VG Kulkarni said, “We have decided to paint 3D zebra crossings at main chowks where we observe overspeeding and maximum movements of crossing roads. We are collecting data from traffic police to finalise the chowks. We will consult the Pune city Traffic Police Department and decide the chowks. We are also analysing the chowks by consulting executive engineers of the Road Department.”

One of the Road Department officials said, “Thermoplastic paint is used for painting the zebra crossings. The civic body spends 

Rs 600 to Rs 700 per square metre for road marking. Thermoplastic paint lasts for a year. However, due to lack of curing time, continuous traffic and tendency of using breaks, thermoplastic paint marking faint out rapidly.”

TRIVIA
- The first 3D zebra crossing in the United Kingdom was painted on a road in north-west London in an effort to improve road safety in the area. 
- After that, many countries started painting 3D zebra crossings.  
- The striped crossing appears to be floating above the road creating an optical illusion that is visible to oncoming drivers from both directions.