HYDERABAD: While there has been a strong demand from students of Muffakam Jah college of Engineering and Technology for a Foot Overbridge (FoB) outside their college for the last couple of years, the fact is that the construction of the FoB has been pending for more than five years despite several representations being submitted to the GHMC.
Proposals to construct 50 FoBs in different parts of the city is gathering dust for the last four to five years and the one outside the Muffakam Jah college is among the most sought after.
FoBs have become essential for safe passage of pedestrians to cross the roads where there is heavy flow of vehicles. Police commissionerates of Hyderabad and Cyberabad have been pleading for the last few years with GHMC officials to build FoBs on a priority basis in areas which are prone to accidents, but corporation officials are delaying its construction due to paucity of funds.
The previous GHMC commissioner, Somesh Kumar decided to construct FoBs from GHMC funds instead of taking it on a PPP mode as private firms who constructed some FoBs failed to fulfil certain requirements such as construction of lifts or escalators and other items followed by poor maintenance. The private agencies were more bothered in advertisement collections than providing facilities to pedestrians. The GHMC floated tenders for 50 FoBs more than two years ago and even finalised the agencies for construction.
After the transfer of Somesh Kumar, the construction of FoBs was put on hold. Meanwhile, in the light of an increase in the number of accidents involving pedestrians while crossing the roads, Hyderabad and Cyberabad commissionerates have been requesting the GHMC officials to construct FoBs at 15 to 20 places.
The present GHMC Commissioner, B Janardhan Reddy, after reviewing the proposal for FOBs decided to construct them on PPP mode instead of building from GHMC funds as the financial status of the corporation is not encouraging to take up such projects.
GHMC officials told Express that the civic body will invite bids for construction of FoBs on PPP mode shortly at important places where there is heavy movement of pedestrians and motorists. They admitted that lack of FoBs in the city is leading to a rise in accidents in the city.