Climbing skywalk an uphill task

Climbing skywalk an uphill task


Skywalks in the city hardly being used. People prefer walking across the road.

BANGALORE: While Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike proposes to construct skywalks in the city, the existing ones go unused.

Just a reality check. In Indiranagar road junction, pedestrians are performing the daily dance of dodging the roaring traffic. Just above stands the skywalk seems to smile in silence at the dodgers down. In half an hour these reporters counted some 53 pedestrians risking their lives across the road while just 15 made use of the skywalk.

‘‘I use this skywalk quite frequently to escape the unruly traffic and also for the comfort it offers,’’ says Babitha, a copy editor in a nearby firm. HR Manager Raju, who also makes regualr use of the overhead walk, said people who did not use the facility ought to be told of the advantage. More awareness is needed in this regard. Skywalks truly help reduce accidents, he remarked.

But for Nagraj, taxi driver, it is a laborious task climbing the skywalk. It is easier to just walk across the road, he says. A woman, who was crossing the road instead of making use of the skywalk said she suffered from vertigo.

A paid caretaker, Chandra, appointed to look after the Indiranagr skywalk, claimed the number of skywalk users increased in the evening. ‘‘In other times people are too lazy to walk the extra distance to make use of the facility,’’ he added.

The story of Sheshadri Road skywalk, located near the Maharani Arts College For Women, is not different. In 30 minutes, only one person was seen using the skywalk.

Maharani College principal professor Syeda Noor Afza said their students used it but not too frequently.

‘‘It is safer to use skywalks than crossing the road, and people should be told about this,’’ they said. M C Ramiah, traffic cop, says a few people made use of the skywalk.

When contacted Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Administrator Dilip Rau said, ‘‘The problem is some skywalks are not at the strategic locations.

But they would be useful in busy junctions, so the BBMP plans to contruct a few more skywalks in the city.’’