Since April, the emergency services have received nine calls related to people falling into, or almost falling into, the Emajõgi River behind the Tasku shopping mall. Police say measures need to be taken to increase safety in the area.
Tartu city government renovated the promenade between the Tasku Center and the market this spring. The city installed concrete benches and planter boxes along the embankment and removed the protective railing from the riverside.
The city’s architect Jiří Tintěra said there have been problems with people gathering there to drink and displaying anti-social behaviour.
“Our assumption was that if we made the area more inviting to ordinary people, then fewer of the people we don’t want there would gather, since such individuals usually choose places with less social oversight. This area is now much more attractive than it used to be,” he said.
While residents have responded positively to the change, there have also been accidents.
Read more: ERR.EE
