GHAZIABAD: One of the busiest intersections between two major roads — the GT Road and the Link Road crossing the road at Mohan Nagar is no child’s play but since its inauguration in 2020, the foot overbridge (FOB), equipped with elevators on both the sides, has remained one of the least
used public amenities.
Pedestrians are mostly seen climbing over the low-height jersey barriers to move between the two roads forcing the traffic to slow down for the most part of the day.
For Nitish Kumar, a carpenter who has to reach Ghaziabad for work every morning, it was easier to jaywalk across the intersection instead of climbing the footbridge. “Crossing the road is easier and faster than using the FOB,” he told TOI. Prayag Raj, an autorickshaw driver, agrees.
“Most of my customers scurry across the intersection to catch a ride. Very few have the patience to use the FOB despite it being safer. At times, the escalators stop working that further deter pedestrians,” he added.
Residents living in the highrises nearby, however, say that these jaywalkers were affecting traffic movement regularly in the area. “Every day when I go to office, I have to leave my house a little early because of the traffic mess on the stretch. People dashing across the intersection force
two- and four-wheelers to slow down every now and then,” Raj Singh, a resident, said.
Vikram Agarwal, another resident, says if motorists who jump signals or are caught speeding have to pay hefty fines, why these reckless pedestrians were let off the hook so easily. “When there was no footbridge there was a problem and now that there is one, people are not using it to save maybe two to five minutes,” he added.
When approached, SP (traffic) Ramanand Kushwaha said despite frequent checks and drives, compliance hasn’t been easy. “A cut near the mall in the vicinity of the FOB was closed but people continue to climb the jersey barriers. We have now requested the GDA to raise the height of the barricade up to eight feet,” he said.
