will revert to you soon on how many interactions we had with govt authorities and replies if any.

• favorite 80 Likes
• | login or register to post comments

Ramesh, I thought a pedestrian overbridge has been announced (recall reading newspaper reports). This is SWR's job, right? So any meetings / mails etc have to go to SWR?

Please share your experience so far if you have approached any govt agency so far on this?

• favorite 81 Likes
• | login or register to post comments

IR talks of safety and when it comes to Foot Over Bridge, they start expecting State govt to share 50% of the cost & this is applicable where ever state govt's are liberal in sharing cost with IR.

Many IT people from ITPL area had given representations to SWR, MP & MLA's.  But of no use as IR blams state and state blames IR.

• favorite 82 Likes
• | login or register to post comments

Barrier system at level crossing was done away with when flyover was built

  The unman­n­ed railway level crossing under the Hebbal flyover has put the lives of pedestrians and vehicle riders at risk.

Things are no different at the Hebbal railway station and commuters are at equal risk. Since there is no skywalk, passengers have to cross the track to reach the platform on the other side. As many as 200 to 300 passengers board trains at the station every day. But, safety measures have not been taken by the railway authorities.
 

Hebbal station master John Samuel, however, denied accidents take place on the tracks. Instead, he blamed the people for taking the shortcut and not using the skywalk. “Many times, I have warned the people against crossing the railway tracks. But they never listen,” Samuel said.
 

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/307118/unmanned-railway-track-hebbal-invitation.html

Its sad that even Hebbal Station master talking of imaginary skywalk at Hebbal.  He should be the one person saying demands are made with railways and not sanctioned.

Good that news papers are highliting the railway crossing issues and most of the ROB's constructed  at  Bangalore do not have safe pedestrian crossing.

This aspect are very well taken in Mumbai and Chennai railway crossing.

• favorite 87 Likes
• | login or register to post comments

A senior railway official, who responded, informs that:

·        No provision was available in the old estimate of road over bridge, to construct foot over bridge at the above location. This might be due to the reason that the old estimate for the road over bridge was prepared long ago and at that time, there might not be so much development at Whitefield and so much requirement to cross the tracks so often by such a huge populace.

·        The role of Railways is only to the extent of providing an unhindered path for road vehicles in the interest of closing the level crossing.  Land at the level crossing belongs to railways. Providing a separate path for road vehicles is in fact the requirement of road users.

·        Railways, though not obliged, have agreed to execute the work as well as to share the cost of work with BBMP with the only interest of closing the level crossing to avoid the recurring expenditure of maintenance of level crossing once for all.

·        When there was public demand to construct foot over bridge, as Railways have already constructed road over bridge, it was expected that BBMP would come forward to fund the cost of the foot over bridge.

·        Finally, when BBMP has agreed for the same, Railways have invited tender for the same without any delay and opened the same on 27.12.2012, though the funds have not been deposited by BBMP.  Invitation of tender without availability of funds, which is normally not done, was done in the instant case only in the interest of expeditious completion of the work.

·        The tender, which would otherwise take 2-3 months for finalisation, has been finalised in a record time of 20 days.  This is a record of Indian Railways.

·        You will be happy to note that a joint inspection has been conducted by the undersigned on 17th Jan 2013 and the work of removal of obstructions has already been commenced.  This is also a record of Indian Railways where the work has been taken up on the very next day of award of the tender.

·        Two records have already been established as mentioned above and we look forward to establish a third record by completing the work in a record time.

·        It was reported by security authorities that either one or both of the deceased were talking over mobile phone during the time of the incident on 02nd Jan 2013.  Only God knows the truth.

·        I want you to understand that in the entire episode, there was no apathy, there were no petty egos and there was no inability to act on the part of Railways.  You are a better Judge to know where the delay took place. Please go into facts in detail before blaming any particular authority.

·        Railways have not received the funds for the above work from BBMP till date and we are  continuously chasing for the same.  At the same time, we are taking care to see that the agency does not stop the work, though it cannot get payment of a single rupee till the fund is deposited with Railways. 

·        As a concerned citizen, you may like to do something about this.

And we as citizen who are affected continue with our following plea to BBMP and Railway as below:

·        One helpful proactive action from Railways will be to move the parked goods wagons by 50 metres towards Chennai side of tracks by a suitable arrangement, thereby clearing the obstruction of path at the level crossing.  Wagons parked overnight/long hours hinders the crossing of tracks with view of both sides being blocked for pedestrians. Aged persons/children/women are often found to be crawling beneath the parked wagons to cross to the other sides and others climb over the wagons risking their lives. Also, the wagons parked beyond the crossing necessitates the people to walk on the tracks and there could be oversight/negligence when crossing resulting in loss of previous lives.

·        The two sides where one needs to cross are also not easy as there is hardly any space between the wagons and the bund, particularly for so many people who arrive by buses to move. Also there is gutter water/filth everywhere. There is no lighting too any where resulting in poor vision for any one. Considering the safety of women, which is attracting highest attention of Government, any proactive action to provide lights in the vicinity of crossing will be highly appreciated.

·        A concrete pathway which had existed earlier before the closure of the railway crossing enabled people to cross faster and also safely.

·        A concrete pathway which had existed earlier before the closure of the railway crossing enabled people to cross faster and also safely.

·        Please post security personal till the over-bridge is completed.

·        Lighting in that area.

·        Minor adjustments in parking of the long goods train so that people will get sufficient gap to cross.

·        We understand that many of the above things do not come under the responsibility of railways. However, the public who are forced to cross the tracks do not have any alternative. The narrow road over bridge is very scary especially for a women carrying small kids.

·        Could this be done by Railway authorities as an interim measure besides the above suggestion of moving the wagons a little beyond.

We are also surprised to know following things:

·        There are no specifications for the width of road over bridge.

·        There is no process for correction of old plan based on the present needs. The actual work of this over-bridge happened recently.

·        No pedestrian convenience required to be considered.

·        4. After the construction of this over bridge, seeing the practicality, railway engineers should have avoided digging the road between the tracks for pedestrians.

·        We all appreciate Railways good intention and any sort of help from Railways to minimise the problem, until BBMP acts in the matter.

·        At the same time, we urge BBMP to act without any delay in progressing the work before we hear of another tragedy.

       We all appreciate Railways good intention and any sort of help from Railways to minimise the problem, until BBMP acts in the matter.

·        At the same time, we urge BBMP to act without any delay in progressing the work before we hear of another tragedy.

Once again, I seek support of all resident associations, corporate organizations and their staff and political parties, irrespective of any difference in ideologies to support in this cry for the need of a safe system to cross over.

Otherwise, for residents of Kadugodi, the way to bus stand is always going to be down and under.

• favorite 91 Likes
• | login or register to post comments

The state government has to release at least Rs 4,500 crore to complete 15 railway projects, including the Bangalore-Mysore track doubling, on cost sharing mode.

According to estimates, Rs 12,000 crore would be required to complete the cost sharing projects, which include the state government’s share of Rs 6,000 crore. In the last three years, the state government had allocated Rs 1,532 crore — Rs 600 crore in 2010-11, Rs 487 crore in 11-12 and Rs 445 crore in 12-13 — and the railways has utilised around Rs 1,400 crore. Going by the present trend, at least ten years would be required to complete the projects due to frequent cost escalations.

For the full report in the New Indian Express, click here.

Going by this report, I don't think the pedestrian bridge here is going to happen easily. Perhaps, it calls for a sustained agitation by the local people, including making some of the neta's cross the tracks by crawling under the wagons.

• favorite 83 Likes
• | login or register to post comments

Just cannot understand how careless the contractors or authorities are when it comes to Safety of public.

• favorite 85 Likes
• | login or register to post comments

I was pleasantly surprised to see the pedestrian bridge up while traveling from Whitefield station last weekend.  Some comments.

A. No lights at night.  There is not a single light inside the pedestrian bridge.  At night, women at a minimumwould be scared.

B.  A never ending ramp... the ramp heading up to the bridge goes on an on like a ghat road.  I still saw people crossing on the ground

C. Missed opportunity:  This was a nice opportunity to connect WFD station to the Kadugodi bus stand.  Not done!

• favorite 78 Likes
• | login or register to post comments

@ Sanjay - The shortcomings once again highlight the importance of genuine public consultation in such matters. The neta's and babu's, who get driven around in cars, have no use for these. All the same, they take all the decisions by themselves (quite often guided by vested interests), and ultimately you land up with user unfriendly contraptions.

It's time the Civil Society pressed for properly constituted Ward Committees/ Mohalla Sabha's.

• favorite 69 Likes
• | login or register to post comments