‘Change design of skywalks to make them people-friendly’
Two DNA readers, KP Padiyar & Ashok Datar, want the government to alter the blueprint to increase usability.
Two DNA readers, KP Padiyar & Ashok Datar, want the government to alter the blueprint to increase usability.
In December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the convention and protocol on the rights of persons with disabilities. In March 2007, India has signed the convention and ratified it in October 2007.
Hence India must have implemented the eight guiding principles of the convention. One such covenant is of accessibility to transport and public installations and equality between men and women are basic. Providing skywalks and subways for pedestrians and surface movement for private vehicles does not conform to the principles of the convention and amounts to denial of accessibility to persons with disability.
All leading countries across the world have implemented UN regulations on access to transport and installations. It is strange that the central government and state regimes still discriminate against pedestrians in favour of private vehicle owners, who are a minority in India. The Mumbai high court has already asked Indian Railways to be disabled-friendly. When will it ask the Maharashtra government to adopt policies that favour the physically-challenged individuals? None of the skywalk which have been built by using public money have facilities like escalators, which deter physically-challenged individuals from using them.
Borivili skywalk
The news report on the numerous skywalks that are sprouting in the city was an interesting read. Maximum city needs more spiders. The skywalk on Chandavarkar Road in Borivli West is one of the three skywalks that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has partly thrown open to the pedestrians.
On the 30-feet-high walkway, it’s really a walk high in the sky. After climbing the 58 steps from the west end of the skywalk and on reaching the ‘summit’, I was completely exhausted.
Moreover, there is a one-foot-wide gap between iron bars on the parapets that made me dizzy while looking down from such a perch. Such a wide gap is a safety hazard for children even when they are accompanied by adults, for children will be tempted to walk by the side of the parapets holding the steel bars. I feel two-feet-high transparent sheets must be installed to protect young children from falling down. This will also help senior citizens get over their fear of heights.
The angles of the skywalk over the SV Road junction are not properly aligned and give an uncomfortable feeling when vehicles pass by underneath.
In December 2006, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the convention and protocol on the rights of persons with disabilities. In March 2007, India has signed the convention and ratified it in October 2007.
Hence India must have implemented the eight guiding principles of the convention. One such covenant is of accessibility to transport and public installations and equality between men and women are basic. Providing skywalks and subways for pedestrians and surface movement for private vehicles does not conform to the principles of the convention and amounts to denial of accessibility to persons with disability.
All leading countries across the world have implemented UN regulations on access to transport and installations. It is strange that the central government and state regimes still discriminate against pedestrians in favour of private vehicle owners, who are a minority in India. The Mumbai high court has already asked Indian Railways to be disabled-friendly. When will it ask the Maharashtra government to adopt policies that favour the physically-challenged individuals? None of the skywalk which have been built by using public money have facilities like escalators, which deter physically-challenged individuals from using them.
Borivili skywalk
The news report on the numerous skywalks that are sprouting in the city was an interesting read. Maximum city needs more spiders. The skywalk on Chandavarkar Road in Borivli West is one of the three skywalks that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has partly thrown open to the pedestrians.
On the 30-feet-high walkway, it’s really a walk high in the sky. After climbing the 58 steps from the west end of the skywalk and on reaching the ‘summit’, I was completely exhausted.
Moreover, there is a one-foot-wide gap between iron bars on the parapets that made me dizzy while looking down from such a perch. Such a wide gap is a safety hazard for children even when they are accompanied by adults, for children will be tempted to walk by the side of the parapets holding the steel bars. I feel two-feet-high transparent sheets must be installed to protect young children from falling down. This will also help senior citizens get over their fear of heights.
The angles of the skywalk over the SV Road junction are not properly aligned and give an uncomfortable feeling when vehicles pass by underneath.