Bengaluru: For Metro commuters aligting at M.G. Road station, crossing the road to reach the shops and other establishments located on the M.G. Road is a risk laden task. The traffic is heavy round the clock and there are no proper pedestrian crossing. In fact this problem of lack of pedestrian crossing is endemic to most metro stations in the city.
Those using staircases and metro elevator lifts complain that at the landing zone they have to contend with busy roads one side and a traffic-heavy service lane on the other.
"I walk to the station because my office is close to M.G. Road metro station. But commuters and pedestrians here cannot walk free because the footpath is very narrow and sometimes it will be occupied by parked vehicles and street vendors. If someone walks towards me from the opposite side I have to get down on the main road and if am with my son I have to be extra careful as the service lane has heavy traffic and there is very little space to walk" Sinchanan, a regular commuter told Deccan Chronicle.
Recently the footpaths on the M.G. Road were upgraded at a cost of Rs 8 crore on the lines of TenderSure roads to make them more pedestrian friendly. However regular commuters using the M.G. Road metro station complain that a lack of pedestrian crossing near the station was a huge drawback.
"There is sufficient space for pedestrians near MG Road metro station, but sometimes it is encroached by street vendors. We have not provided road median break near metro station due to heavy traffic," a traffic cop told DC.
