Citing illegal activities, two vital underpasses in Gurugram out of bounds for pedestrians

Gurugram: Citing illegal activities that are occurring in the underpasses, the NHAI has proposed the two vital underpasses along Rajiv Chowk and IFFCO Chowk to be closed for the pedestrians. If implemented, this may jeopardise the security of pedestrians who will have no option but to risk their lives in crossing the busy route.

It has been mentioned by the officials that how the underpasses are being used by the unruly elements for the consumption of liquor and even drugs.

There is however criticism that rather than taking action against such unruly elements the public agencies are planning to close the underpasses that will provide safety to the pedestrians.

According to sources, the underpasses that are not being maintained well by the authorities is already not being used by the pedestrians.

Rajiv Chowk and IFFCO Chowk are two of the most traffic junctions along the Delhi-Jaipur expressway. In the past, not only the pedestrians but even the motorists have been hurt or died in accidents along the route.

The state of condition underpasses is just another illustration of how poorly kept underpasses and foot over bridges and footpaths is creating a lack of facilities for the walkers in the city.

According to an official date, in the last three years from 2016-2018, there have been 545 deaths of pedestrians.

In 2018, 168 people who were walking on the roads lost their lives. In a city where eight people on an average die daily due to road accidents, a major complaint about long has been that how facilities like footpaths and Foot over bridges are not being set up by the urban planners.

Even as FOB'S are being set up on major roads now the apathy over its maintenance still persists. Incomplete FOB's coupled with lack of maintenance is now resulting in these FOB's not only being used to dump garbage, being defaced by putting local advertising posters but also being used by addicts and drunkards to indulge in open drinking and consumption of drugs.

In the past, the district authorities were forced to build Foot over Bridges (FOB's) by the local residents owing to the death of pedestrians.

"What is the use of making a world-class city if it cannot take care of its pedestrians? There were tall claims that were made by the authorities earlier that facilities will be created for cyclists and walkers. Yet, there is no progress that has been made.

There are just no footpaths and FOB's which are there and those which are there are in such a dilapidated state that no one wants to use them," said Sanchita Chawla, a city resident.