Covered foot overbridges unsafe for women

The GHMC has to file the compliance report in Lokayukta after removing the boards by August 22. Ms Kanthimathi, the president of Right to Walk Foundation, has filed a complaint in Lokayukta regarding the development of footpaths and providing safety measures for road crossing. Lokayukta opined that by seeing some of the photographs filed by the complainant, even footbridges are not exempted by the GHMC for advertisements, blocking the entire view of the bridge, endangering the safety of people.

“The public in general and the women, in particular, who use the footbridge are not at all safe with the advertisement boards put up there and in addition. All footbridges should have lights through the night,” opined Lokayukta.

No cases reported on bridges so far

There are around 12 footbridges in the city, set up under the public funding programme by the ‘Built Operate and Transfer’ (BOT). “We will be implementing the Lokayukta order. Out of 12, the licence period ends for four, which is fine. For others we will offer alternative hoarding areas for advertisements. If not they may claim compensation,” said a GHMC official.

According to the police there have been no cases reported on the footbridges so far, except for drunken men sleeping there. Mr Jai Raj Kennedy, former additional commissioner, advertisement and electrical, GHMC, said, “We may have to pay compensation to the advertising companies or the other option would be to give them another spot, with the same space, prominence and cost.”

The assistant commissioner of police (Traffic), Hyderabad, Mr G. Manohar, said, “Our role is very limited in this issue. We have only filed a report about the drives we are doing in the Central Zone by removing the encroachments. It is mostly the concern of  the GHMC and law and order police.”