No footpath on new Sion bridge, pedestrians forced to risk walking among speeding vehicles

The newly built bridge at Sion has brought relief for vehicles, but created difficulty for pedestrians. The old bridge had footpaths on both sides. The new structure has no separate space for walking. As a result, people going from Sion East to West must either take a long detour or walk among speeding vehicles.

The reporter walked the route. A person going from Sion East to LBS Road on the west side must first use the walkway near the Domino's Pizza outlet. They then cross the underground pedestrian subway, take a U-turn and pass through a narrow, poorly lit and crowded lane. The road in this lane is also broken. Only after that does LBS Road come.

Those going in the opposite direction must cross the same lane and subway. They then climb the pedestrian walkway alongside the new road overbridge and come down near the Domino's outlet.

The route is long and inconvenient. Many people are therefore choosing what looks like the easier option, which is to walk straight onto the bridge amid heavy traffic. This puts their lives at risk, especially during peak hours. The lack of a footpath has also raised the question of how seriously the BMC takes its own pedestrian-friendly policy.

Pedestrian Lata Naik said, "The old Sion bridge had footpaths on both sides, so there was no worry about vehicles passing dangerously close. Now there is no such arrangement. Either you have to go around to the subway or take a risk on the bridge. There is also the railway bridge option, but for that you would have to buy at least a platform ticket."

Nitin Sharma said that reaching the underground passage from the LBS Road side is not easy. According to him, the route is confusing and involves a long detour. He said, "If you are in a hurry, walking on the bridge seems easy, even though it is dangerous. The new bridge should have had a footpath like the old one."

Megha Nair asked, "Why was the most basic need of pedestrians ignored in an infrastructure project? A footpath was not built, and what was already there was taken away. The authorities are not prioritising their own pedestrian-friendly policy."

Mukta Saliyan said, "There is a pedestrian subway, but it cannot be reached easily. The bridge is already crowded with vehicles, yet people are forced to walk on it because the other route is very inconvenient. When heavy vehicles pass close by, it is frightening. As always, pedestrians have little choice but to risk their lives. Even if you go around, the narrow lane has many problems: poor lighting, little space and a broken road."

At present, the new bridge has a pedestrian walkway on only one side.