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Manikandan V, a resident of Chromepet, said that the foot overbridge has not been in use for at least a month and the lack of lights on the bridge makes it dangerous during the night hours. “As there are no lights, this place is frequented by tipplers and anti-social elements,” said the 29-year-old techie.
Speaking to DT Next, social activist David Manohar confirmed that the foot overbridge is barricaded by the Highways Department for over a month now. “As this bridge is not usable, people have to cross the track – which is just beyond Chromepet railway station – to go to Nehru Nagar. In fact, the flyover has around four wings, one of which goes to Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) and is known as MIT Bridge. The foot overbridge helps people access the other side – Nehru Nagar. But there is no proper lighting and no maintenance either, giving the entire structure a forbidding and decrepit look,” said the Chromepet resident, adding that pedestrians are at risk if they cross the tracks. Officials from the Highways Department were unavailable for response.
Not only in Chromepet, foot overbridges across the city have been rendered either unused due to lack of maintenance or kept under lock and key, forcing pedestrians to cross the dangerous, vehicle-ridden arterial roads of the city. “I have a tough time crossing the Haddows Road, because the foot overbridge there is kept locked. It makes no sense why such a structure exists, when pedestrians are not allowed to use it,” said Amit Kumar, a professional working in the locality.
According to experts, most of our streets are designed for vehicles and not really for pedestrians, even though the Corporation has adopted the non-motorised transport (NMT) policy to popularise cycling and walking.
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