Skywalk? We’d rather take the road!

Skywalk? We’d rather take the road!
Deccan Herald

It was meant to help pedestrians cross the road without running the risk of being hit by speeding vehicles. But it remains a mere showpiece with hardly a handful of people making use of it. And in the meantime, two more are almost ready -- on Residency Road and Airport Road near Kodihalli.

The 15 feet high foot overbridge (skywalks) at Jayanagar 4th Block was inaugurated in August this year with the objective of helping pedestrians navigate the busy shopping junction.

Different picture

But a reality check by Deccan Herald saw just about a dozen people use it in the span of an hour, though no traffic signal exists at this junction.

Notwithstanding the skywalk, pedestrians risked crossing the busy road by dodging vehicles than making a little extra effort to take a flight of stairs and alight (72 in all) in safety. A ramp, which would have ade it more user-friendly, is also missing here. Moreover, the skywalk ends without connecting a key stretch of road through which BMTC buses enter the bus stand in 4th block.

Popular logic

“People feel that they would have to walk a longer distance, together with climbing the bridge. On the other hand, crossing the road at the junction itself would take them less time and ef fort despite the risk,” says Babu, a chaat vendor.

Says Shankaramma, an advocate, who frequents the area: “Sometimes people are too preoccupied and don’t register what is happening on the road. Given this, a skywalk is a safe way to get to the other side.”

“The time spent on waiting for the road to clear can be used to go over the skywalk. For elderly people too, this would be easier than rushing across road,” she added.

When questioned on the lack of ramps for elders and physically challenged, Jaiprasad, former technical advisor, Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, said five to six skywalks come under pilot project basis and the BMP is negotiating providing ramps and escalators for some of these.

“How many people do you think would want to make use of the skywalks or even the ramps? It will be the same case as with the railway overbridges. In most cases people would prefer to cross the 14 m stretch of road than climb 15 ft,” he said.

Why should the skywalks be built at all then, at such huge cost, if people are not going to use them? Jaiprasad counters: “If the authorities build skywalks, they are questioned for not putting up ramps. If they don’t put up anything, they are criticised for that. What do we do? Why don’t you question the public for not using the skywalks and other public utilities?”.

Akin to the chicken and egg situation, one is not sure whether the authorities are not ready to provide a user-friendly service which is why the public is not willing to use it, or whether the authorities are aware that the public will not use the service, which is why the service is not up to the mark.

SEVEN PACKAGES LINED UP

*Total skywalks planned in City: 27

*Cost of skywalk without escalators and roofing: Rs 50 lakh.

*Gandhi Bazar Main Road, Bull Temple Road (with escalator and roofing), RNS Motors on Tumkur Road, CBI Office on Bellary Road, Kendriya Vidyalaya on CV Raman Road.

n Mysore Bank (with E and R), Marappanapalya - NH 4, Minerva Circle, Mysore Road/Chord Road junction near KIMCO.

nJanatha Bazar (with E and R), KH Road near BMTC, Vijayanagar Maruti Mandir, RV Road near Vijaya College.

nCauvery Bhavan (with E and R), UAS NH-7 Near Hebbal, Kamakya theatre on Katriguppe Ring Road, Hare Krishna Road.

n Webbs Garage junction (with E and R) on M G Road, Hosur Road, Sarjapur Road, Bhashyam Circle Rajajinagar.

nLalbagh Main Gate (with E and R), Police Thimmaiah Circle, Cunningham Road Crossing/Millers Road.

nJayanagar bus stand (with E and R), Anil Kumble Circle and Urvashi theatre.