Kadugodi residents wait for safety of foot overbridge

The long-pending demand of a pedestrian crossing at Whitefield Railway Station remains a non-starter.

The work on the foot overbridge has also been delayed. The delay puts thousands of residents of Kadugodi in peril as they continue crossing the railway tracks to access the bus station on the other side. The work was to be completed by June but the project seems nowhere near completion.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, South Western Railways Assistant Division Manager Sandeep Mehra said “tenders for construction of foot overbridge were finalised in April and work was to be completed by June but due to several reasons it has been delayed.” The project is now expected to see completion by August-end.

A foot overbridge has been a long-pending demand of residents of the area who have been forced to cross the railway tracks to access the bus station, it being the only way they could connect to the rest of the City. Due to lack of safety, a number of mishaps have been reported over the years.

Deepa Arun, resident of Kadugodi, whose children have been forced to cross the tracks to reach their school, remarked: “Early morning, people of different age groups cross the tracks and because it’s rush hour. Usually there is a goods train blocking the way forcing people to duck below it or climb through it. These scenes continue through the day and it is very unsafe.”