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Skywalks violate footpath norms, jeopardise pedestrians' lives

Last Updated 05 May 2017, 20:06 IST

 Skywalks in the city are built in brazen violation of footpath safety norms, and put pedestrian lives at risk.
The structures routinely block footpaths and force pedestrians to step on to the roads, where they have to dodge speeding vehicles.

The Indian Road Congress (IRC) lays down that footpaths must be at least 5.9 feet wide and free of all obstructions. Neither the BBMP, nor the private parties who partner with it to build skywalks, are paying any heed to its stipulations..

IRC norms mandatory

Top officials are aware IRC norms are mandatory, and admit in private that the BBBP flouts them all the time. Bengaluru already has 16 skywalks, and the municipal authorities are planning 111 more.

BBMP chief engineer (major roads) B S Prahallad said he was not sure whether the skywalks conformed to IRC norms. “We build them on the basis of designs given by consultancy firms,” he said.

N Devaraju, retired BBMP chief engineer, said the municipal body had never cared about IRC guidelines.
“Skywalks are recommended only at places with a movement of 1,200 pedestrians an hour. The passage for pedestrians must not be less than 1.8 metres. If the density of pedestrians is high, the footpath must even wider,” he said.

(With inputs from Jagadish Angadi and Raina Paul)

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(Published 05 May 2017, 20:06 IST)

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