Confusing double fences installed at Belgrade's Studentski Trg
Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- New, double fences have been erected at Belgrade's Studentski Trg, causing confusion about their purpose.
- Pedestrians are navigating around and over the fences, which appears to contradict the goal of enhancing public safety.
- A retired traffic engineering professor questions the logic of the fencing, particularly its placement near a bus stop without clear pedestrian pathways.
Belgrade's Studentski Trg has seen the installation of additional, double fencing, adding to existing barriers in the city center. The purpose of these new fences remains unclear, sparking confusion among residents and observers.
If the person who made this intended for pedestrians to come here, where should they go from here, this is fenced off.
The placement of the fences has led to pedestrians circumventing or climbing over them, a behavior that seems counterintuitive to the stated aim of improving public safety. Reporter observations suggest the current setup may not align with facilitating safe pedestrian movement.
Milan Vujaniฤ, a retired professor from the Faculty of Transport Engineering and a court expert, expressed bewilderment regarding the design. He questioned the logic behind fencing off areas, especially near a bus stop, without providing clear pedestrian crossings or designated pathways. "If the person who made this intended for pedestrians to come here, where should they go from here, this is fenced off," Vujaniฤ stated, highlighting the lack of a clear flow for pedestrians entering the fenced areas.
It is not a bad solution, but here I did not understand what is being fenced off, it is not clear to me why this area is fenced off and what a pedestrian who enters here should do, when there are no benches either.
Vujaniฤ clarified that he does not oppose separating pedestrian and vehicular traffic, recognizing it as a safety measure. However, he finds the current fencing at Studentski Trg illogical, as the purpose of the enclosed space and the intended use for pedestrians are not apparent. He also pointed to Helsinki, where no traffic fatalities occurred last year, attributing this to increased public awareness regarding road safety.
That is the consequence of raising people's awareness not to put other people's lives in danger, nor their own.
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.