Pedestrian facility in Bangalore : May be worst in Indian Metros

As an expert put it: ‘What the pedestrians want is different from what the BBMP thinks they want. There is clearly a disconnect.

Kalamma Nanjundappa (50) rarely steps out of her home these days. This resident of Pipe Line Road, in Palace Guttahalli, was till recently a domestic worker in nearby homes in Vyalikaval. With her painful knees, she simply cannot negotiate the shattered footpaths that would force her to step down on the road and then up the footpath again.

Her case is just one example of the travails faced by pedestrians in a city that privileges motorists over walkers. Broken and pitted footpaths, if indeed there are any; severe shortage of zebra crossings and traffic crossings, unfriendly underpasses and skywalks... who is not familiar with these hazards in “world class” Bangalore?

The Union Ministry of Urban Development’s National Urban Transport Policy 2006 points to the declining role of non-motorised modes of transport as cities increase in size and density. Thus, access to livelihoods, particularly for the poor, is becoming far more difficult, simply because city travel has become risky. The impact is felt by the poor who figure more frequently among those killed or injured in hit-and-runs involving cyclists, pedestrians and pavement dwellers.

Vinay Sreenivasa from Hasiru Usiru, who conducted road-crossing experiments to highlight pedestrian problems, said: “The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) widens roads to accommodate more vehicles. To widen the roads, it chops the tree cover and reduces the width of footpaths. How can people walk on narrow footpaths without the shade of trees? These ‘development activities’ discourage pedestrians and encourage motorists.”

He then cited the examples of Seshadri Road and 15th Cross, Malleswaram, where trees were felled to widen these roads. Utter insensitivity to pedestrians has also made the former thoroughfare very difficult to cross.

 senior BBMP official in the engineering department conceded that the 15,000 km footpath network in the city has been ignored, as the BBMP has not earmarked any “maintenance fund” over the past several years to repair roads and footpaths

Meanwhile, despite pedestrians shunning skywalks and underpasses, the BBMP proposes to construct 98 more skywalks across the city.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/why-it-is-tough-going-for-pedestrians/article4498009.ece

They end up providng onw dwon ramp on each side of the  raod instead of two.  Also height of FOB  is real concern. Also roof cover from sun & rain is very much needed & these will attract more citizens to use them.

With most pedestrian underpasses/ subways in a deplorable condition, people would rather risk crossing the road itself. A team from The Hindu, which did a recce, found that most skywalks remain grossly under-utilised for a variety of reasons, including the toll it takes on the breath and knees. Not surprisingly, the only skywalk with a lift, on K.G. Road, is popular. Moreover, this facility is monitored by six closed circuit television cameras.

HAL Airport Road

This road witnesses heavy traffic. Though there is a divider, duck through the broken railings and dart across the road, even though there is a skywalk just after Leela Palace. The Hindu spotted a man on crutches crossing the road thus. “The skywalk may be useful, but the stairs are too narrow and high for me. Their breadth could have been also increased,” said Neelakantesh M., who broke his leg in a road accident. But residents of surrounding areas welcome the skywalk.

High Grounds

The skywalk with 55 steps at High Grounds, opposite the Sophia High School, is mostly used by the school students. Ram Singh, a security guard, said it is well lit till 11 p.m. and that police personnel conduct checks regularly.

Children may find the skywalk a piece of cake but not older people, who have to huff and puff while climbing it.

Seshadri Road

Little wonder that his poorly maintained skywalk is largely ignored by pedestrians. College students prefer to cross the road, risking life and limb. L. Mariyappa, a security guard at the V.H.D. Central Institute of Home Sciences, said that anti-social elements gather at the skywalk at night

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/many-find-it-strenuous-to-climb-skywalks/article4498010.ece

good work done by Hindu by bringing ground reality.

One of the main reasons for pedestrian casualties is encroachment of footpaths by not only commercial establishments and hawkers, but also by motorists, according to Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) M.A. Saleem.

The extension of shops and commercial establishments onto the footpaths and parking of vehicles on the footpaths force pedestrians to walk on the roads, making them vulnerable.

“Like roads are for motorists, footpaths are meant for pedestrians,” Mr. Saleem said.

The traffic police have initiated a drive this month to clear the footpath encroachment by fining shopkeepers as well as automobile owners who encroach upon footpaths. Riding or driving vehicles on footpaths is also an offence.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/encroachment-of-footpaths-endangering-lives-of-pedestrians-say-police/article4498016.ece?ref=sliderNews

Let these people visit below Hebbal Flyover,  no footpaths, no  lights,  place is dirt to walk,  forced wolk on road ramps.  So in Govt agency,  they can find many execuses and not even single good reason to solve these pedestrian issues.

Traveling 40 km in one hour with maximum of two change overs across different modes of transport may seem like a distant dream for those in the city, but with the right effort, there are solutions that could work, according to panelists of a discussion on mobility.

The panelists were Sir Edward Lister, Deputy Mayor, London, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, founder and chairperson Biocon and Sivasailam, MD, BMRCL.

Organised by Janaagraha, a NGO, and the British High Commission, as part of a peer learning efforts between London and Bangalore, the discussion sought to throw light on the similar challenges faced by the two cities. An important contributor to London’s transformation to its present state was the decision to integrate all modes of transport under the Transport for London, something that Bangalore urgently needed to do, some panelists said.

“Transport integrated planning is new in Bangalore and any model of integration of public transport should begin with the footpaths,” said N Sivasailam.

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw remarked that it was unfortunate that despite Bangalore contribution to the state’s GDP and despite the fact that it aspires to be a city state, only 15 per cent of the state’s GDP was for Bangalore.

http://newindianexpress.com/cities/bangalore/Experts-focus-on-improving-transport-facilities-in-city/2013/04/13/article1542674.ece

I am finding this new discussion for last 3 - 4 days in news paper.  So integrated multi modal transport .....