Pedestrians in skywalk dilemma

Pedestrians in skywalk dilemma
BY RAHUL KUMAR
BENGALURU







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I Unfriendly facilities force people to cross busy roads I
The city’s sky walks are not user-friendly with Bengalureans preferring to cross the busy roads on the ground rather than climb up to the high bridges.

Skywalks at Maharani College, Rajaji Nagar and Domlur are hardly used.

The advertising revenue they generate seems to be the only redeeming factor about the 11 skywalks built in Jayanagar 4th block, C.V Raman Nagar, Central School, Iskcon, Residency Road and Indiranagar.

Most people think they are otherwise a waste of money.

“BBMP is wasting our tax money on constructing skywalks that serve no purpose,” says Shashi Kumar, employee of an IT firm near Richmond Circle.

K.P. Prasanna, who lives on Airport Road, cannot recall the last time he used a skywalk.

“Why should I climb 40 to 50 steps and get tired when I can easily cross the road by walking a few metres?” he asks.

The skywalks are 5.5 metres tall, posing an awesome challenge to the physically disabled, the elderly and those suffering from joint pains. Lugging baggage up the stairs can be very daunting as well.

People complain that the skywalks are impractically located.

They feel they would have better served crowded areas with high pedestrian density like Peenya Circle on Tumkur Road, Yeshwantpur Circle, MG Road and Brigade Road.

Says Raghunath, a trainee with a software company, “Skywalks must be constructed at places where people generally need to wait a long time to cross the road. Also it would be more convenient if they are fitted with ramps or escalators.” But Prof. M.N. Srihari, advisor to the Karnataka government and expert committee member for Bengaluru Infrastructure Authority, says that while an escalator would solve the problem of climbing the steep stairs of the skywalks, the investment required would run into crores.

The solution, in his view, is to create an environment where pedestrians are forced to use the skywalks by either barricading the footpath or making the roads inaccessible to them.