To minimise the safety risks to pedestrians at major Metro stations, the Delhi Traffic Police has proposed to the Delhi Metro to construct skywalks at the upcoming inter-change Metro stations. The skywalks, which can facilitate multi-directional walkovers for the pedestrians will allow greater access to the pedestrians to their respective destinations.
The skywalks connecting major Metro stations is a global practice and can be found in various countries, including Bangkok and Singapore, to facilitate safe pedestrian movement. The traffic police have also suggested the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to raise the height of the elevated Metro stations, if required, to facilitate the construction of the skywalks. Out of the 125 upcoming Metro stations, the Delhi Metro through its survey has found that the pedestrian exchange facilities (skywalks or foot over-bridges) can be provided at 67 stations.
Studies suggest that pedestrians are the most vulnerable of all road users and 574 pedestrians have lost their lives in accidents till October 15, this year. “The inter-change Metro stations witness very high volume of pedestrian traffic, as Metro trains transport a large number of people from one place to another at a single time. At such cross-points, people have to go in different directions to reach their respective destinations. So, the skywalks, which can facilitate pedestrian movement in different directions to nearby places, will be useful for the people on foot,” said Anil Shukla, Additional Commissioner of Police (traffic).
He added that skywalks should be planned in a manner at the upcoming inter-change Metro stations such as Raja Garden, Dhaula Kuan and Moolchand that they connect nearby places — malls, colleges and the markets.
“The motive is to help the pedestrians reach their destinations safely. Skywalks will prove to be more useful than the foot over-bridges, which only facilitate single direction cross-over facilities for the pedestrians. The FoBs lose their significance at the cross-points, where people have to walk in different directions to reach the places in the vicinity of the Metro stations such as malls and market places,” explained Shukla.
He said that the skywalks will not only make pedestrian movement safe, but will also render the points where the inter-change stations are coming up congestion-free.
“The objective is that no pedestrian traffic should come on the roads. With significant number of people descending at the major stations, the area not only gets commercialised rapidly, but also leads to different modes of transport such as auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and gramin sewas clogging the Metro stations.