Why build castles in the air? Plan skywalks better, BBMP

Deserted, unused, neglected: Bengaluru has 109 skywalks but only a handful serve their purpose. Instead of addressing the problem, the BBMP has planned 25 more and is in the process of finalising their locations. Pedestrians have several grievances: Skywalks have not been built at crossing points, so people have to take a detour to use them. The absence of elevators puts off senior citizens, who cannot always climb the long flights of stairs.  These have now become hangout spots for youths, and people sleeping in the corners is a common sight too - this adds to the problem, as women prefer to avoid the skywalks if they are walking alone. Some skywalks which were positioned correctly but blocked the facade of a business or shop, were shifted after owners pressurised civic officials. When will the problems be addressed, asks Nikhil Gangadhar

The City Traffic Police have found that several skywalks built in the City are not easily accessible to pedestrians. These skywalks also cause obstruction to movement of vehicular traffic, as people tend to cross the road and avoid the skywalk.

 The traffic department had recently submitted a report to the BBMP about the skywalks built and had failed to serve their purpose. In the report, the civic body mentions that the skywalks had been constructed at locations which were not identified by the traffic police department and it had also observed that a few skywalks at a few locations could cause huge traffic congestion in the coming days.

For the first time a study on skywalks besides other road and traffic aspects was taken up under the guidance of Harishekaran, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic).  He submitted a 433-page report about the issue which needs attention from various civic agencies.

It is necessary for the civic bodies to consult the traffic police department before constructing a skywalk or a subway. Harishekaran said in connection with skywalks, “We, the  traffic police will have a better idea, as we spend most of our duty time on the road and in the traffic. So, we are in a better position to talk about the traffic density and volume of pedestrian movement and we would give a better idea or solution and even the exact location to build a skywalk, which would be easily accessible to pedestrians and also not  cause traffic obstruction.”

A senior police officer from the traffic department pointed out that they had found that BBMP officials were pressurised by people from various quarters to shift the locations from the actual identified places. He said, “If there is a doubt about the location identified by us, being unsuitable, then the BBMP should bring it to our notice and we would carry out further inspection and find a suitable location within the proximity from earlier suggested place.”

 Skywalks must be built only if there is a requirement and they shouldn’t cause obstruction to vehicular movement.  Now, there are talks that BBMP will carry out another survey along with the traffic police to draw suitable solutions to ensure that the skywalks are easily accessible and does not hamper the flow of traffic.

 Another senior traffic police officer said, “There are 109 skywalks in the city and more than 25 new skywalks is being planned. The survey was carried out by the traffic police personnel from every traffic police station. It was found that a few skywalks were constructed without looking into the aspect of accessibility and these skywalks are less used by the pedestrians who prefer to cross the road by jumping the median.”

The officer added that the skywalk near KR Puram and Sophia School is not being used by the public as they will have to walk for a few distance and climb the stairs, so they prefer crossing the road and this obstructs traffic flow. They should be equipped with elevators, as people would not like to climb the stairs and prefer the short route of crossing the road.

A senior officer at BBMP said that the report has been received and we will look into the matter and also discuss it with senior officers. “We can assure that if any skywalk is causing obstruction to the traffic flow, will be looked into and see what can be done to set it right,” added the officer.

Not user-friendly, skywalks become ‘hangout’ spot
The skywalks, which are meant to make crossing a busy stretch of a road easy for pedestrians, have turned into somewhat nefarious hangout zones for youths and college students. Pedestrians avoid them when they can, because they don’t want to climb the long flights of stairs.

Nagalakshmi, a government employee, says that the skywalk near Manyata Tech Park on the Outer Ring Road is useful for the corporate employees who work in the area. Although many of them make use of the skywalk, others continue to cross the road, usually causing traffic congestions as they do so. “A skywalk is constructed to take pedestrians off the road. But when people refuse to use them, that purpose is defeated. Traffic police should come up with strict rules to ensure that no one crosses the road if there is a skywalk nearby. Only strict enforcement will bring in some change.”

Senior citizen Krishnaswamy says the skywalks are simply too much of an effort for the elderly., “The government should ensure that elevators are built, as this will make it easier. They should take the trouble to understand why people hesitate to use skywalks before constructing them.”

The skywalk near Tin Factory, he adds, has become a hang out place where several youths spend their time chatting. Some people use it as a place to sleep, which is awkward for those who want to walk through, especially women. It is the same with the Domlur skywalk too, he says. “These are not minor issues, as money is spent on constructing these skywalks. The problems are being ignored by the government, which should be making sure that skywalks are used by pedestrians and pedestrians only,” he adds.

Meanwhile, the BBMP has planned to construct 20 more skywalks in the City at various places, which are yet to be finalized.