MMRDA takes a step back from skywalks……Chittaranjan Tembhekar & Ashley DMello
Poor Planning,Underwhelming Response Junk 22 Over-Bridges
Poor Planning,Underwhelming Response Junk 22 Over-Bridges
Mumbai: They were meant to give Mumbaikars the feeling of a walk in the clouds,helping them sidestep littered streets and avoid crazed drivers,but,in the end,the muchdebated skywalks fell by the wayside,thanks largely to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authoritys slapdash planning.
Four years ago,the agency had announced with great gusto a plan to construct 58 skywalks across the city,complete with modern design features like cable stays and arches.Initially,the project met with success,but later with strident criticism.About a fortnight ago,the MMRDA said it will complete 36 of these foot over-bridges but no more.
Officials admit a major reason for their backtracking was the tepid response to many of the skywalks.The foot over-bridges in places like Chembur,Thane (East),Bhandup (West) and Andheri (East) receive barely 5,000 to 8,000 footfalls a day.Another cause was the often-violent opposition from vendors who felt the skywalks would drive away their customers.In areas like Dadar,MMRDAs survey teams were threatened by groups of shopkeepers.
But mainly,experts say,the project floundered because of the MMRDAs arbitrary planning.
Most of the skywalks are not being used as expected, said transport expert and planner Ashok Datar.The skywalks do not follow the route where the crowds go.
Datar said the success of skywalks in Vile Parle,Santa Cruz and Bandra (E) showed that the project could have worked.Commuter usage and the layout of these skywalks matched.But at other places,the planning was random.At Kanjurmarg,Bhandup and a few other stations,commuters do not use the skywalks at all.
Of the 22 over-bridge proposals that have been junked,three were to come up in Dadar;two each in Mahim,Kurla and Mulund.
The MMRDA should have integrated bus stops,autorickshaw stops,vehicle parking bays,upcoming metro as well as mono rails and skywalks with local train stations to channel the crowd.Since that is missing,people are not using them, said urban designer Trupti Amrutwar Vaitla.Also,they are not at one level.Lots of stairs force the elderly to avoid skywalks.
Vaitla said that the MMRDA should have built skywalks bearing in mind the link between pedestrian movement in and around stations and their need for shopping.
MMRDA spokesman Dilip Kawathkar,however,refuted charges of poor planning.Neither is there a change in policy nor planning problems.The BMC can take up skywalks if people want them.