Foot overbridges come to pedestrians' rescue in CITY

CHENNAI: The state highways department has identified STUP consultants Limited to prepare a detailed project report for the construction of seven foot overbridges with escalators in seven locations in the city. The World Bank-funded programme is likely to be ready this year.
Foot overbridges with escalators will come up at Velachery Bypass Road near the Metrowater distribution point, at Taramani Link Road near Tata Consultancy Services, at Perungudi Road-MGR Salai junction, near DG Vaishnav College on EVR Salai at Arumbakkam, near SBOA school on Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, Anna Nagar West, and two overbridges on GST Road near Government Hospital, Chromepet, and near Madras Export Processing Zone (MEPZ).
Official sources told TOI that the project consultants will also hold meetings with the public. "We want to take care of public claims and objections," they said. The consultant will have to study the pattern of pedestrian movement and traffic flow in the region, before finalising the drawings and arriving at cost estimates. "The government is paying Rs49.5 lakh for the study. The World Bank has also given its approval to the consultant. The study will take place in the next six months," they said.
There has been a steady increase in the number of pedestrians using these routes. The foot-overbridge projects also found mention in the second master plan of the CMDA and in the comprehensive traffic and transportation study conducted in 2008. The government has proposed to take up the projects under the World Bank's Tamil Nadu Urban Development Project-III. The department plans to kick off the projects by mid-2010.
As per the city traffic police, one out of five pedestrians killed in road accidents registered in the city last year was an elderly person and 80% of them were pedestrians. A 2008 study revealed a steady flow of pedestrian movement at many critical junctions in the city and outskirts. For instance, Rattan Bazaar-Evening Bazaar junction tops the list with 13,888 pedestrians/hour, followed by T Nagar bus stand-Usman Road (11,518), Broadway (10,037), Dr Muthulakshmi Salai near Tiruvanmiyur bus terminus (8,631), Mint intersection (6,178) and Arcot Road near Porur (5,622).
Transport experts have welcomed the idea to introduce foot overbridge with escalators, but not without warning. "It will be very helpful to senior citizens and the differently-abled, who are otherwise at the mercy of motorists. The government should ensure proper maintenance of these structures, or else they will meet the same fate as the escalators at MRTS stations, that are idle without maintenance," said KP Subramanian, former professor, urban engineering division, Anna University.