Officials of the Chennai Corporation are holding discussions to finalise the implementation of the plan to install lifts on pedestrian bridges on the city’s roads. The announcement was part of the civic body administration’s promises for 2012-13.
There are currently four such bridges in the city, and the plan to install lifts on them is a bid to increase their use. “It has been found that a majority of people do not use the pedestrian bridges despite their presence and choose to jaywalk. This is because of the long flight of stairs. Lifts would help to make it convenient for the people to use the bridges,” read a document outlining the announcement.
Of the four pedestrian bridges within the Corporation’s control, one already has a lift. Located on Nungambakkam High Road, the bridge itself had been constructed from the constituency development fund of the Central Chennai metropolitan five years ago.
“We are still in discussions over which pedestrian bridge to implement the announcement first. Till we decide that, we cannot pick the capacity required for the lift there. Some of them do not see so many people, while others see a much bigger rush,” said a Corporation official. The three remaining pedestrian bridges are on Haddows Road in Nungambakkam, Peter’s Road in Royapettah and Taluk Office Road in Saidapet. Officials say the bridge on Taluk Office Road will require large lifts, while the one on Haddows Road will need much smaller ones.
The lifts on the Nungambakkam High Road Bridge were installed at a cost of roughly Rs 40 lakh. Now, depending on the size of the lift required, the cost could go up, say officials.