Uneasy walk on two foot bridges

NOIDA: Residents of Sector 29 of Noida are upset about the lack of security and of escalators on the foot overbridge (FOB) outside Botanical Garden Metro, across Captain Vijyant Thapar Marg towards Sector 29.
According to Nehaa Gosain, a resident of Sector 29, the FOB, which connects the station to Sector 29, lacks security for the users and reeks of a foul smell.It is also shrouded in darkness at night as there is no lighting.
“From beer cans to faeces and stench all over the passage, to people smoking and sexual harassment, you name it and it’s all there on that bridge. Apart from this, the bridge is covered with cardboard on the sides instead of see-through glass, restricting visibility at night, which in turn encourages crimes. When I have to use the FOB at night I rush through the passage as it is scary,” she said.
Rita Bhatnagar, another Sector 29 resident, said she avoids taking the bridge at night. “With no security or police it is scary to cross the FOB. Since the bridge is the only way to cross the road over to Sector 29 without facing constant flow of traffic, the authorities should tie up the loose ends,” Bhatnagar said.
In a related issue elsewhere in Noida, K K Jain, Sector 34 RWA president, said he has written to Rama Raman, chairman and CEO of Noida Authority, requesting him to sanction an elevator at the FOB that connects the busy Sector 34 to sectors 50 and 51. “Senior citizens and children find it very difficult to climb the stairs of the bridge as it lacks escalators and an elevator,” Jain said.
The main road of Sector 34 goes all the way to Ghaziabad (via Crossings Republik) and also connects major sectors of Noida and Greater Noida. “The area is prone to accidents. It is important that pedestrian safety is ensured with the installation of elevators at the bridge because without them, residents tend to cross the road without using the bridge, defeating its purpose,” Jain said.