Citizens from Sos district. Anti-aircraft guns from the 5th sector have been rallying every night for 3 weeks at the pedestrian crossing where a 19-year-old boy died. They are trying to convince the capital’s mayor’s office to install a traffic light so that another tragedy does not happen.

The protest started spontaneously on the evening of October 11, when a 19-year-old boy died after being trampled on a crosswalk. Every evening from 19.00 to 21.00 about 30-40 people come out and constantly cross the pedestrian crossing to draw attention to the problem.

At the pedestrian crossings on Antieriyska Street, people say that accidents happen often, and since 2012, the capital city hall has tried to install a traffic light with a control button for pedestrians, but to no avail.

• “We will test night after night until we get what we envision, the installation of a traffic light with a control button. Since 2017, I have appealed to the capital city hall and the street administration with a request to install it. But there are requests from other neighbors since 2012. We are constantly told that they have been doing TEO for 10 years.
• What TEO is needed for two pillars and two buttons, you can’t do that. Last year, on September 13, traffic lights were installed on Kalea, it would be possible here as well. The last road accident happened with a 19-year-old guy who died, hence the protest action.
• A young man died on Tuesday, and two days later a 13-year-old girl was injured at the next intersection. Not fatally, but he is in the hospital,” explained Mrs. Maria, who goes to the protest almost every night.

He says that everyone crosses with fear, and those who have children are terrified of what might happen and go to cross the street.

• “Every day we cross with fear, there are 4 lanes, the danger is that they drive at speed, the first lane gives an advantage, the second does not. We want a civilized crosswalk so we can cross the street safely. There were children who suffered over time, who became disabled, children who died, military personnel. Speed ​​over a hundred.
• Last winter I was in the middle of that street when two cars collided because one yielded and the other didn’t and they hit each other because they were chasing each other because I didn’t take action when they saw that they shouldn’t have intention to stop
• We intersect with this fear. And we, who have children, call our children to see if they have arrived, go to cross the street with them, get home. It can’t be like this anymore,” said the woman.

Another resident of the area, Dana, says that the street department from the capital’s mayor’s office redid the markings and installed resonator strips only after the terrible accident 3 weeks ago.

“The pedestrian crossing, from our point of view, is incorrectly marked. Only after the accident in which Max died, the street administration bothered to redo the markings. The vast majority of drivers do not follow the speed limit of 50 km/h, drive at a much higher speed and do not give priority to pedestrians,” the woman explained.

The whole street is covered in crosses

And this suggests that they have been applying since 2018 regarding the placement of a traffic light, but all these years they were told that a technical and economic feasibility study was being done.

• “Since 2018, the residents of the microdistrict have repeatedly appealed to the street administration and the capital’s mayor’s office regarding the installation of a traffic light with a button, and the answer was, from 2018 until today, that they are conducting feasibility studies, tenders, projects, and that traffic lights will be installed for this purpose . People have been dying since 2018, people die every year, the traffic police can tell you.
• The problem is all over the street, there are several dangerous pedestrian crossings, people have died, there are a lot of crosses, the commander of a military unit also died in a car, and no measures have been taken.
• At first we went out in hundreds, now we take turns, united in groups of 30-40 people, because we also have work, children at school, things at home. But we will protest until this is resolved,” Dana told us.

He says people will collect money to buy two traffic lights.

“We want to raise money ourselves and buy these traffic lights, also as a sign of protest. We don’t know what to do anymore. Madam, we want traffic lights, we don’t want bridges. We will protest every night until this is resolved. Something is wrong with those who rule us. As in a hospital, there should be emergency lighting, at least temporary traffic lights can be installed. Neither parent is sleeping peacefully in their own bed after Max’s death, everyone is wondering what is happening to their child,” said Dana.

According to the data provided by the Metropolitan City Hall at the request of HotNews.ro, the placement of the traffic light at the mentioned pedestrian crossing was approved, but it has not been installed, as a feasibility study is being carried out. It will take approximately 3 more months to complete the study and install the traffic light.

A similar situation is also at the pedestrian crossing at the corner of Splaiul Unirii from the building. A slaughterhouse where road accidents often occur. Residents of the district appealed to the capital city hall back in 2019 with a request to take measures for the safety of pedestrians. But nothing happened, even though people were informed last August that a traffic light would be installed. On Tuesday, one man died there, and another was hospitalized in serious condition.