‘CCTV cameras will help make Bengaluru subways safer’

Subways are built for pedestrians to bypass the speeding vehicles on the roads above. But walkers often avoid these subways, particularly when it rains, because of safety issues and the poor quality of construction.

Questions remain such as why are our pedestrian subways so unsafe, why are they so poorly lit and maintained when road safety experts insist that this is the best way for pedestrians to cross a road bypassing those ugly skywalks? DH interacts with a cross-section of Bengalureans to get their views.

Ankit Vijay, an environmental engineer has this to say: “These days, we have completely ignored the pedestrian subways and that is precisely because of poor maintenance. If this is addressed through multiple design interventions, I am sure the subways will make pedestrian commuting much easier and safer.”

Subways can indeed be a solution for Bengaluru’s heavy traffic, notes Amrita Menon, a resident of Kormangala. “With the mercilessly chaotic traffic that Bengaluru has, the only way for walkers to deal with the issue is to have properly maintained pedestrian subways.”

But the current state of the city’s existing subways hardly inspire confidence among the public. She explains, “Anyone living in the city might have witnessed the unused, ill-maintained subway tunnels. Most people avoid using subways and underpasses because they are poorly lit and are a place for criminals. These subways have also become breeding grounds for many diseases, a place for garbage disposal and also double up as public urinals.”

On many occasions, these subways have been in the spotlight for anti-social activities. As Ashitha Sarma, a resident of Whitefield notes, incidents of eve-teasing are common. “It is scary to walk into a hidden space. As a woman, I find it difficult to walk through isolated places that might not be easy for the public to notice.”

“My parents insist that I should avoid such places due to the safety issues. I too feel, after reading all the news and information about violence against women, that it is better to avoid such dark, dingy and isolated spaces,” adds Ashitha.

As a student, Ashitha feels the city needs more well-lit subways or underpasses which should be monitored by CCTV cameras to make them safer. The Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), she says, should maintain these places very well during the rainy season by checking the drainage system properly.

Hildegard Anne Maria, a teacher shares the same view. “The plight of those walking through road underpasses are inexplicable.

The lack of infrastructure development had made them one of the spookiest systems. The presence of vendors in those spaces has also made it more difficult for pedestrians to move freely. It’s high time BBMP did something about this issue,” she says.