Senior citizens face inconvenience while using pedestrian subways in the city because there are no escalators or elevators inside.
Pedestrian subways in the city do not have elevators or escalators, making it tough for senior citizens to access them. Often they are forced to use the road to cross to the other side. Some places are Majestic, K.R.Market, near Town Hall bus stop.
According to a Dashrath N, a senior citizen, “I face a lot of problems climbing the stairs up and down constantly. That is why I find it difficult to cross the road. There should be an elevator so senior citizens will not face inconvenience. But the BBMP hasn’t provided an elevator or an escalator”.
According to S Somashekar, Chief Engineer, Road Infrastructure, BBMP, “Technically it is very difficult to provide elevators or escalators inside pedestrian subways, mainly due to space constraint. The structure of several pedestrian subways built is not according to the elevators or escalators”.
The pedestrian guidelines of the Urban Transport Department of Karnataka say that there must be elevators and escalators inside every pedestrian subway.
According to Vinod Jacob, member of the NGO ‘Janaagraha’, “There should be elevators and escalators inside every pedestrian subway in the city because there are senior citizens. They should not only be built but also maintained. Enough funds are there with the BBMP for the construction of elevators and escalators inside pedestrian subways. However, the BBMP can do one more thing, which is to tie up with some corporate for construction, upkeep and maintenance of elevators and escalators inside the pedestrian subways.
The BBMP says no elevators or escalators can be provided as the pedestrian subways built are not designed in such a manner.
