Prioritise pedestrians when designing infra

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The newly constructed Sion Bridge may have eased vehicular movement, but pedestrians are struggling to cross between Sion East and West safely.

Unlike the its predecessor, which had footpaths on both sides, the new structure has no dedicated walking space, leaving people to either take a long detour or walk dangerously amid fast-moving traffic.

A mid-day reporter, during a test walk, found that pedestrians travelling from Sion East to Lal Bahadur Shastri (LBS) Road on the west must use the walkway near the Domino's Pizza outlet, cross the underground pedestrian subway, take a U-turn and walk through a narrow, poorly lit and overcrowded lane with a damaged road before reaching LBS Road. A lengthy and inconvenient route has resulted in many walking directly on the bridge amid heavy vehicular traffic. We need pedestrian accessibility, as authorities themselves tout that they want to enforce their pedestrian-friendly policy.

The old Sion Bridge had footpaths on both sides for the convenience of pedestrians.

Let every project, new piece of infrastructure or even repaired ones, put pedestrians first. Pavements are a must, as people are walking inches away from vehicles on busy roads. They are not the only ones in danger. They can put other vehicles in danger too, as sharp braking may result in a pile-up.

Certain subways and overbridges are made for pedestrians, yet these must be well kept and well maintained, besides the first consideration that they be accessible.

Encroachments must go out the window. Re-look at the bridge design and other infra where pedestrians' lives are on the line while negotiating spaces.