The footover bridge at Nungambakkam High Road has elevators that will make crossing the busy stretch easy. Despite this obvious advantage, the FOB is avoided like the plague during late evening, because pedestrians consider using it at those hours, unsafe. They would rather cross the crowded one-way stretch than use the FOB, which has someone manning it, but only up to a point of time.
The lifts are closed after 8 p.m. and nobody is posted at the FOB after that.
The absence of proper lighting makes things worse for pedestrians.
The FOB is being repaired now: with a new tiles being laid on the ramp and the stretch leading to the lift are being re-laid with new tiles, the stairs, which were in a bad shape, are being properly cemented and arrangements are being made to ensure that the place is well-lit.
“The work started 15 days ago. Apart from a new set of tiles, they have also installed new glass panels and boards have been installed. The bridge is completely painted and the repair work of the staircases is still on. A part of the space A tiny bit of areas under the bridge that was used as an unofficial dumping ground, will now be converted into a tiny garden,” says R. Radhakrishnan, who has been manning the lifts here for years.
This facility in Nungambakkam was inaugurated in 2009 and is being used by hundreds of pedestrians every day. People using it regularly complained to the authorities about its poor maintenance, which has lead to the current work. of the property, but they hope that things are better after the repair work.
Annadurai S., a regular user of the FOB says, “After 8 p.m. this bridge seems unsafe with the lift not working and we have to use the stairs and they are not in a good condition. Also, there is a TASMAC outlet close by and it often seems that visitors to the shop can often be seen using the bridge as a drinking space. All these factors make it unsafe for pedestrians, especially women, to use the facility. After the new look, we hope that pedestrians can use it during the night. Regular patrolling on the bridge at during night will be of much help.”
