Pedestrian bridges in Hyderabad largely ignored despite safety push
HYDERABAD: The over 20 foot overbridges (FOBs) and skywalks built by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) across busy city junctions to ensure pedestrian safety are being widely ignored. A ground check revealed that most pedestrians continue to cross roads through moving traffic rather than use the elevated structures.
Installed at the request of the traffic police to provide safe crossings, the FOBs at Greenlands opposite Tourism Plaza, Masab Tank, near Mahavir Hospital, St Ann’s School in Secunderabad, and on Allwyn Road in Miyapur remain underused. Pedestrians were seen bypassing medians, ignoring zebra crossings, and darting across roads without waiting for the signal.
“I find it faster to cross the road directly. Using the bridge means climbing several steps and wasting time,” said Pranay G, a student from Ameerpet. “It may be risky, but I have been doing it for years without an accident.”
Defunct escalators, unclean facilities cited as reasons
Others blamed poor maintenance and lack of cleanliness. At the Secunderabad FOB, both the escalator and the elevator were defunct. “The bridge is filthy, with waste and paan stains everywhere,” said Trishitha Panjala of Masab Tank. Bhavana Sharma, who used to use the FOB daily to pick up her daughter from St Ann’s School, said she stopped six months ago after the escalator stopped working. “I now wait below the bridge while my daughter crosses it,” she said.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Telangana records around four pedestrian deaths every day. Despite this, many continue to flout safety norms.
Experts suggest underpasses, stricter rules for safety
Urban transport experts have suggested alternatives such as pedestrian underpasses and higher road medians. “It takes less effort to use an underpass than a bridge,” said orthopaedician Raghava Dutt. Road safety expert Sailesh M said, “Traffic police should consider fines for pedestrians who avoid using bridges.”
GHMC commissioner R.V. Karnan said that repair work is under way on damaged structures and that the civic body is addressing maintenance issues.
