Mid-Day Opinion: Make Bandra East skywalk walkable again

Representation pic

This paper carried a report about yet another skywalk with myriad problems that need to be tackled immediately. Barely seven months after the Bandra East skywalk completion, commuters say the 680-metre pedestrian bridge has begun showing signs of neglect, with hawkers, homeless people, garbage and occasional lighting failures becoming a regular feature.

This paper's spot check did find hawkers on the skywalk and people sleeping or camping along it with their belongings. There were no security guards.

This edit space has highlighted problems on different skywalks across the city. There have been dark stretches on skywalks, which are dangerous, especially for women. People have complained and these complaints have validity of anti-social elements, drinking and substance abuse at certain skywalks, especially as commuting peak hours peter out and darkness falls. Those who work the night shift or even late evening shift have stated that they feel unsafe using the skywalks during odd hours because they do not know who they will encounter on that infrastructure. The lights are fixed at times after our report, but the fact that it takes media to highlight the problem shows that we need continual vigilance at these structures so that they are safe spaces. Darkness does spell danger as it is conducive to crime.

We have also seen that skywalks tend to become physically derelict. This skywalk was the pride of Bandra, with a much-needed connection from the station. It is disappointing that hawkers ply here and the homeless use it for shelter. Nip this in the bud at the outset itself.