‘The true nature of the Self is eternal, indestructible, and beyond the material and mind’, the plaque reads. The text is based on a verse from Bhagavad Gita, an important Hindu scripture. Photo Resource. A roadside memorial was erected for Shreya Nair, the first-year student of Food Technology who was killed in traffic earlier this year at the popular Campus crossing along the Nijenoord Allee.
The memorial for the Wageningen student from India was revealed in the presence of friends and family, De Gelderlander reports, on the day she would have turned nineteen. Flowers have been placed at the scene regularly in memory of the student.
The university was not involved in realising the monument, says spokesperson Vincent Koperdraat when asked. ‘WUR generally maintains an appropriate distance from initiatives to commemorate deceased students or employees.’
Confronting
Roadside monuments are of great emotional value for next-of-kin. Nonetheless, they are also not entirely undisputed. Objectors claim they are confronting to those living close by and that they distract traffic and hence jeopardise road safety. In spite of many years of calling for clear rules by the Association of Traffic Victims, there are none. The road manager decides what is and what is not permitted.
Wageningen Municipality is responsible for the Nijenoord Allee. A spokesperson confirms that the municipality is aware of the memorial. ‘The next-of-kin has been consulted about the precise location, and the memorial may remain indefinitely for now.’
Busy road
Nair was killed when she was hit by a taxi van at the bike crossing near Hoevenstein, between the campus sports fields and the Leeuwenborch. After the fatal accident, friends and fellow students pressed the municipality for measures to make the busy crossing safer. The cyclists union argued that the situation should be addressed urgently and organised a silent protest.
Since then, the municipality has implemented several changes. The white warning triangles on the road and the yield sign have been made more visible, and additional warnings were painted on the road. Not everyone is satisfied. ‘The municipal executive had a personal talk with the next-of-kin to discuss other, additional measures that may be put in place to ensure traffic adheres to the speed limit and approaches the crossing with caution’, says a municipal spokesperson. ‘This resulted in additional warning signs being placed near both bike crossings with the text “caution: cyclists”. These signs were already present on the right side of the road but have now been added on the left side of the central divider.
Structural improvements
Traffic lights and other structural improvements are not expected before 2024 as part of the Beter Bereikbaar Wageningen (Better Access to Wageningen) project. The plans include traffic lights at the bike crossing near Hoevestein and an elevated section at Churchillweg/Bornsesteeg crossing. At least these are ‘the current plans’, according to the municipality.
