A multipurpose skywalk to come up in Secunderabad
Hyderabad: The Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA), a wing of Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), and South Central Railway (SCR), has proposed a skywalk in Secunderabad connecting three modes of transport – bus, railway and the Metro rail.
Avoiding even a brief walk on the road, a commuter can switch from one mode of transport to another.
While SCR has proposed a pedestrian facility from Rathifile bus station to Secunderabad East Metro Rail station, UMTA has proposed another skywalk that will be 800 metres in length and four metres in width. This will connect the Metro Rail stations of Secunderabad East and Secunderabad West in addition to three bus stops — Secunderabad (near Alpha Hotel), Rathifile bus station
“We want to ensure that people avoid walking on the busy road and switch from rail network-bus-metro as a safety measure for pedestrians,” said an official from HMDA.
The cost of the project that has been proposed by UMTA is tentatively put at `30 crore, which does not include the pedestrian facility by SCR.
Though an UMTA proposal, the agency that will build the project has not been decided yet.
“Once the proposal is approved, it will be decided whether the project will be built by Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) or us,” said an official from HMDA.
Another senior official said that land acquisition is not a hurdle as only some portions of the central median at the three bus stops need to be acquired for to execute the project.
Presently, the area near the Secunderabad railway station and Rathifile bus stop experiences heavy footfall, while the footpaths are occupied by pedestrians.