Are foot over bridges the answer to pedestrian woes in Chennai?
CHENNAI: Foot over bridges (FoBs) continue to feature in the city’s upcoming infrastructure projects though several of them don’t extend any discernible benefits to pedestrians. The city corporation maintains four foot over bridges and is carrying out work on a steel one in Nungambakkam worth Rs 5 crore. As for the Highways Department, detailed project reports are being prepared for three FoBs in Thirumangalam and Mogappair and another in Anna Salai near Chinnamalai (in lieu of a pedestrian subway).
In 2019 (a year prior to the onset of Covid and a subsequent decrease in traffic), 55 per cent of people killed in accidents on Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR) were pedestrians, as per data from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP). Ironically, OMR has the most FoBs in the city.
TNIE visited seven such FoBs to check their usage. The bridge near Mettukuppam, even amid peak traffic on a Monday morning, was only being used by a handful of pedestrians, while the rest hopped over the median. About half a kilometre on, the other pedestrian bridge near the Thoraipakkam bus stop was also rarely used. A gap in the median used by pedestrians to cross has been barricaded, and while the plants on the median make crossing over difficult, it’s still not impossible.
Gandhimathi, who was walking past the FoB in Karapakkam, said, “We use the gap near the junction to cross the road. I cannot climb so many stairs because I am suffering from arthritis.” When asked if she would use the FoB if it had an escalator, she said, “I’m not sure. I have used an escalator only twice or thrice before.”
TNIE found that the bridges near the junction, such as the FoB in Perungudi, were less likely to be used, as pedestrians simply opt to cross the road. The FoBs near SRP Tools and Thanthai Periyar Nagar were also sparingly used.
Sumana Narayanan, senior researcher, Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group, said, “The issue goes beyond the design of these foot over bridges. It’s not as if an escalator or a lift will help. In these cases, pedestrians are forced out of the way of the traffic.”
“So what we are doing is prioritising vehicles over pedestrian movement. Pedestrians should be able to cross at the road level safely. There should be signage and a refuge island, and motorists should respect that,” she added.
As a pedestrian, do you face similar civic woes, and feel strongly about them? Write to us at response_tn@newindianexpress.com