The Public Works Department (PWD) has finally taken the steps to maintain cleanliness on the Foot Overbridges (FOBs) and sub-ways located in the city.

The department has deployed two staffs at various FOBs maintained by PWD.

According to official, one staff will look after the maintenance of escalators, lifts and will inspect the bridge time to time to curb the incident of petty crimes such as snatching and drug addicts and other nuisance and another staff will clean the FOB twice a day.

The action was came after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and PWD minister Satyendar Jain in November slammed a notice to the staffs of PWD for not taking action to maintain and fix the short comings on arterial roads such as pot holes, cracks and maintenance and inspection of FoB’s and Subways.

“After which the PWD chief asked its concerned staffs especially the higher officers to ensure that proper maintenance/cleaning is being done and escalators are made functional in all FOBs,” said a PWD official on condition of anonymity.

Although the concerned divisions are taking action but we are receiving complaints from users about unsafe and poor condition of FoBs, said PWD official, adding, “We have received complaints of incidents, like - snatching, and escalations of drug users in subways who stole net bolds installed on the lifts, escalators, light fitting and any kind of iron material to buy drugs.”

The guards deployed on full time at various places where such cases are high. “I take a look and instruct the people found doing nuisance like throwing paper and trashes. Further, my shifting is from 8am to 10 pm and I also roam both the sides of bridges timely to avoid nuisance,” said Susheel Kumar, guard deployed at ITO foot over Bridge.

The PWD will open shops in the subways and provide proper lighting so that subways don’t wear a deserted look. Approximately 50 subways and 80 Foot over Bridges (FOB) located in different parts of Delhi for the use of pedestrians.