Hall of shame spot #2 - Domlur Flyover?

I have the first hand experience of this situation.

Last week I had to come to marathahalli signal for the Hall of Shame #1 meeting with SB and others, here is what I had to do as I have choosen to take the public transport instead of my car for this purpose.

I walked for around 600 meters from my company in EGL campus to outside campus, near Hero honda showroom. Now what are the choices I had, I don't think there is any bus directly going from there towards Marathalli, which takes a right from IRR towards marathahalli. So, I decided to walk down till old airport road. It was around 700 meters. I took the same footpath you mentioned SB, I couldn't take any snaps as I have waited enough for the bus and no more time to get delayed for the meet.

While walking, many times, I had to step in and out of the footpath for various reasons and finally, I reached the strech SB has pointed out in above pics. Apart from too narrow, its not even conitnuous, and at the end of the strech, you see no more slab-covers and you have to step on that road, and risk your life to cross and reach old airport road. Story does't end here, After that I had to cross that full old-airport road to go on the other side as I had to go towards Marathalli. There was no Bus-stop at that point just below the flyover, there can be one as there is enough space there in terms of width. Then I saw a bus-stop a few meters ahead on the same road, so I started walking. Oh my God, how horrrifying was that strech, as vehicles are coming at good speeds to go straight or taking a ramp of the left side and I had risked my life again (this was horrifying but) to walk on that roadside to reach bus-stop near carlton towers where buses were stopping. I don't know whether that was a bus-stop or not, but buses were stopping there, and finally I took a bus to reach marathahalli signal and met SB and others.

My total walk of 1 km(outside EGL campus), is not bad in terms of distance, and not even in terms of good or bad footpath, but I had horrifying experiences to meet with accidents and escape while walking. I am not expecting high international quality footpaths righ now, but I want some reserved space where I can walk freely without interfering with the vehicular traffic while walking along the road or crossing the road.

Deepak

A HU member posted these pictures on the Y-group, with the comment "Was 'walking' crossing the domlur flyover today and did not realize it is such a night mare".

I expect Bangalore must figure around the bottom in the 'world walkability index' - absolutely sad state of affairs.

Literally no footpath here, I pity those use that road-footpath everyday and public transport, I am wondering, is this the way, we want to promote public transport in Bangalore? A Big question. ???

Check out the below photos -

(1) Start walking, but where to walk? Oh ya, there is some space.

(2) (3) (4) So soon, the end of the footpath, really !!!, now where to walk?

(5) (6) Encroachment also here.. This company in the Adarsh Regent Building has been using this footpath space (govt space, public space I think) as there own private parking space, how unfair is that? and how illegal is that? (Correct me if may be wrong here).
Obviously pedestrians have to walk on the road, risking their life !!!

(7) Couldn't the space below the flyover be used for walking space, I think yes, only lack of planning and implementation I guess.

(8) Oh, finally, I got to enter into footpath here, so, lets walk.

(9) I could manage to walk here in day light, but I am not sure what will happen in rain and night.

(10) Finally, the last stretch of the footpath, couldn't find any stretch, where I couldn't have complained. I think, its my bad luck, public's bad luck, they should learn to live with it. Oh!, I realized it a little late, people have already learnt to live with it, and now risking their lives and walking on the roads. Pity on them.

Deepak
 

An idea came to my mind many times, that lets spread this word across all pedestrians, that if they don't find good footpaths specifically at the areas where all these new development works like footpath, underpass, new roads etc being done, start walking in group in the middle of the road, let police come in to clear the roads, lets it get some media coverage more and more, more and more people should get aware of their basic rights of getting good footpaths while using public transport.

I think, this is the only way going forward if we want to make authorities look at the issues and keep all these things in mind in new flyover constructions.

After domlur, even on the Sarjapur, ORR flyovers, pedestrians and bus-stops are still not being taken care properly.

Deepak

Hasiru Usiru had been conducting 'come cross the road' at different points across the city. We are planning to hold a public meeting to share the findings and along with that, we are trying to put up a small photo exhibition too, highlighting these very issues... 

Can we use some of these pictures for the exhibition..?

Thanks!