BBMP to build raised crosswalks

BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in order to ensure safety of roadside pedestrians and keep check of speeding vehicles, decided to build more than 500 raised cross walks (15 cm in height) and humps in different parts of the city roads.
S Somashekhar, chief engineer, major road infrastructure, BBMP said, “Raised pedestrian crossings help in two ways – they control vehicle speed and ensure walkers’ safely.”

The initiative taken by BBMP seeks to provide better road crossing facilities along Sarjapur Road, Magadi Road and Outer Ring Roads and other places in Bengaluru.

Somashekhar said that the issue has been discussed with the chief secretary after the traffic police department made a request to build raised pedestrian crossings. “Traffic police had a requirement of 206 such crossings and such crossings and several humps. But we had already invited tenders for more than 500 crossings, work orders for which will be issued shortly to the contractors. These crossings will come up at important locations and work will be taken up under the state government grants”, he added.

The traffic police department also made a request to build pedestrian underpass at different locations in Bengaluru for citizen road crossings, but the request was turned down by officials saying pedestrian underpass is not feasible for the city, even the ones already built are not in good conditions. Tough BBMP have identified 86 locations for foot over bridges to build in city and tender for the same have been floated for 32 locations.