What about pedestrians after demolition of Hancock Bridge, asks Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Railways to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking arrangement for providing pedestrian bridge on any alternative mode for crossing over the railway lines after the Hancock bridge was demolished.

A division bench of justices Abhay Oka and CV Bhadang has asked the authorities to reply by March 14. The direction was given during the hearing of the petition filed by city resident Kamlakar Shenoy said that though the proposal was first mooted in 2009, the bridges were yet to be dismantled.

Further, no arrangements had been made so that traffic could be diverted. The petitioner further pointed out that double parking and encroachments on the road from Crawford Market to Bhendi Bazaar and J J hospital junction to Akbar Peerbhoy College had led to traffic congestion.

Hancock Bridge was constructed in 1879 and Carnac Bridge in 1922. In 2009, the railways floated a proposal to demolish both the bridges as the DC to AC conversion of railway tracks required a vertical clearance of 5.87 metre.

The railways also informed the BMC that most of the steel metal and joints of the bridge were in badly corroded condition. In October 2012, Hancock Bridge was closed for light, medium and heavy vehicles. In early 2015, the railways issued a letter to the municipal commissioner to stop all kinds of traffic, including pedestrian movement on the bridges. Accordingly the bridges have been demolished.