Bengaluru: Dysfunctional lifts, CCTVs render skywalks useless

Nithya Mandyam / TNN / Updated: Nov 16, 2019, 09:01 IST

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BBMP’s initiative to make 23 of its 31 skywalks user-friendly by equipping them with elevators has come a cropper — a check showed only two structures have functional elevators.

Bengaluru: Dysfunctional lifts, CCTVs render skywalks useless

Pedestrians are forced to cross busy roads as elevators in most skywalks are not working

BENGALURU: BBMP’s initiative to make 23 of its 31 skywalks user-friendly by equipping them with elevators has come a cropper — a check showed only two structures have functional elevators.
Further, security is still an issue at most skywalks: No guards are deployed; CCTV cameras look the other way, defeating the very purpose of their installation. Most non-functional elevators lack power supply.
Tellingly, the skywalk elevator erected near NR Square in front of BBMP headquarters doesn’t work because of poor maintenance.

Street hawker Ramanna, who has been selling fruits nearby for over a decade, said he hasn’t seen anyone using the lift since its construction. “People normally take the stairs because there is no power supply. Senior citizens wait for traffic to halt to cross the road instead of climbing the steep stairs,” he added.

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That the skywalk elevator in front of BBMP headquarters doesn’t work is a telling reflection of how seriously the Palike takes its responsibilities. And how easily it disavows them. Blaming private partners for the poor state of sidewalks means the public partner is not willing or able to hold them to account. This means private partners are making money for non-provision of services. And why build another 39 skywalks when the existing ones are in such poor shape? Surely, the priority should be to make existing facilities usable

Prithvi Chandrasekar, a student, said: “BBMP needs to fix the problem and make the elevator work. The very purpose of a skywalk is lost if people do not want to use it.”
Thirty-one of 43 skywalks were built by the Palike under a public-private-partnership (PPP) and 23 of the PPP skywalks are equipped with elevators. The skywalk across Raja Ram Mohan Roy Road has non-functional elevators, forcing people to cross the busy street.
Nishanth Arun, a resident of Vasanthnagar and marketing professional, said BBMP is a poor service provider. “They just provide the facility but don’t bother to maintain it,” Arun said.

The skywalk at Jayanagar III Block has lifts at both ends but none works properly. A senior BBMP official said they are aware of the situation and blamed private agencies for not maintaining the structures. “Most skywalks are not being utilised to their maximum because of their flawed location,” the official said, adding: “They must be located near bus shelters, where they can be of maximum help to people.”
BBMP commissioner BH Anil Kumar reviewed skywalks across the city and noticed many shortcomings, including absence of guards and flawed CCTV cameras. “The chief secretary has directed us to install a sensor in every skywalk to monitor the number of users,” he said.
Work order has been issued for 39 more skywalks in the city and work is under way for 17. The new skywalks will have functional lifts, CCTV cameras and sensors, Anil Kumar added.

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