A ground check of skywalks, FOBS on both express highways shows that most are dark and dingy, and drug-addict hubs; women say they are petrified to use them, ask who will ensure safety
The Tilak Nagar foot overbridge, where men can be seen lurking in the shadows, on July 8. PIC/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
Apart from skywalks, foot overbridges (FOBs) on the Eastern and Western Express Highways, installed for the benefit of pedestrians, have become hubs for substance abusers, posing a threat to citizens, especially women, a ground report by mid-day has revealed. Asked how they feel using these FOBs, especially at night, women pedestrians answered unanimously, “Unsafe, anxious and vulnerable”.
Aruna Chavan, Malad resident who uses Borivli’s Kulupwadi FOB daily. PIC/Nimesh Dave
A Recent report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) released in January this year listed Mumbai as one of the top 10 safest cities for women. “I don’t think they considered all elements and parameters — because if they would have considered this vital element, maybe the city, even if otherwise feels safer than other cities, wouldn’t have made it to the list,” said Pratima Chaudhary, who regularly uses the FOB connected to the Dindoshi Metro station on the WEH.
Bad and worse
Between Kurla and Vikhroli on the EEH alone, there are about six FOBs, while the same number of bridges exist between the Mogra to Dahisar East Metro stations on the WEH. Aruna Chavan, who uses the FOB on the WEH in Kulupwadi, Borivli East, daily, said, “Even at 11 pm, the highway is filled with speeding vehicles. So, there is no other option but to use the FOB. However, using the FOB feels equally risky as there are no proper lights and also the tiles are broken. I work as a house help and nanny in one of the buildings here in Kulupwadi, and I stay in Malad. My 12-hour shift ends around 9.30 pm, and by the time I reach this FOB, it’s almost 10 pm or 10.15 pm. When it gets dark, using this bridge feels unsafe. The only options that I have are either to pray that nothing happens and walk quickly on the bridge or to endanger my life by crossing the highway directly.”
The Dindoshi Metro station foot overbridge. Pedestrians have raised concerns about the structure’s lack of illumination. PIC/Nimesh Dave
Illumination woes
Chaudhary mentioned that though the FOB attached to Dindoshi Metro station on the WEH does have lights at its southern end, the area outside the Metro station is pitch black at night. “When I climb the bridge from the opposite side of the Metro station, it feels okay since there are lights and a good number of people use the bridge around 8.30 pm. But whenever I get late, say past 10 pm, using this bridge becomes a risky affair as people are not there and there are no lights. You just don’t know who will pop up in front of you from a dark corner,” she said.
Zeenat Shaikh on the Kurla foot overbridge, located on the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road, which is linked to the Eastern Express Highway, on the night of July 8
Musharraf Shaikh, a woman pedestrian who uses the Shankarwadi Jogeshwari FOB, mentioned that though she did not use the bridge daily, whenever she does, the little illumination the structure receives appears to be solely from the few functional streetlights. “I don’t understand how the officials always fall short in providing facilities. Did it not strike them that there would be safety concerns, especially on bridges that are built at such elevations, if there is no proper illumination?” she said.
The Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar foot overbridge in Ghatkopar East. PICs/SAYYED SAMEER ABEDI
While women acknowledged that FOBs on the WEH feel marginally safer, likely due to better lighting or police visibility on the highway below, those who use the EEH’s bridges said they are a waste of resources, as they are of barely any use due to safety concerns.
A fortuitous encounter
“I climbed the bridge only because I saw you both [the mid-day reporter and photographer], and especially you — a woman. I was waiting on the highway for almost 10-15 minutes. I could not cross the road due to traffic and big trucks passing, and neither was I willing to climb the bridge because it was so dark and I could not see anyone upstairs. But as soon as I saw both of you climbing the bridge, I followed suit, thinking that in case something happens, at least there was someone whom I could ask for help,” said Zeenat Shaikh, a user of an FOB in Kurla, located on the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road which further connects with EEH.
The Shankarwadi foot overbridge in Jogeshwari wears a mostly abandoned look. PIC/NIMESH DAVE
She added, “I had gone to my dentist’s clinic. My house is in Christian Wadi, which is on the opposite side of the road. I am always forced to take an auto and pay heavy fares as a result of traffic congestion, just because this FOB is unsafe. If I take the bridge, I can reach home in 10 minutes. But today [Tuesday, July 8], I got a call from home that my one-and-a-half-year-old daughter was crying a lot, and I had to reach home at the earliest. I had already wasted 10-15 minutes waiting to catch an auto and trying to cross the road. If both of you hadn’t come, I would have been forced to take the bridge alone, risking my life.”
‘CCTV cameras a must’
Twenty-five-year-old Shravani Sawant, a Dadar resident, who has her office in Godrej Enterprises Group’s premises in Vikhroli on the EEH, told mid-day that there had been times when she has walked from one gate of the premises till the Godrej signal, nearly 800 metres, at night, just to cross the highway when the signal turns red instead of taking the Godrej SOP FOB only because there was no one upstairs.
“These 800 metres feel too much after a hectic work day. They should at least appoint a trustworthy watchman or have CCTV surveillance on each FOB across the city, because for women, it’s like there is a well on one side and a valley on the other. On what basis can we make any choice when one option risks our life and the other risks our dignity and security,” said Sawant.
Questioning why the police can’t patrol FOBs, a user of the Kannamwar Nagar FOB, Jaya S, said, “They have appointed police officers to patrol the streets at night and curtail illegal activities. Why can’t these officers also ensure there are no anti-social elements, including drug addicts and alcoholics, present on FOBs?”
Authorities are aware of situation
A senior civic official told mid-day, “I agree that women’s safety is a huge problem when it comes to FOBs across Mumbai. We have seen that this problem prevails in other cities as well. These bridges are handed over to each ward officer once they are constructed, and then the respective ward officers are technically responsible for them. Thus, nothing gets discussed centrally. However, there is a need for ward officers to take measures so that the bridges are used for the right purpose and are safe for women.” “One solution can be a comprehensive maintenance and security contract, where one contractor will be responsible for maintaining and providing security measures for each FOB,” the official added.
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