Delhi PWD Proposes 21 New Foot Over Bridges to Improve Urban Mobility.

The Public Works Department (PWD) in Delhi has received a proposal for the construction of 21 new foot over bridges (FOBs) across various locations in the city. The proposal, which originated from the Traffic Police, was reviewed last month by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and ground surveys to prepare a detailed report have since commenced.

According to the proposal document, potential sites for the new FOBs include prominent locations such as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Marg near the exit gate of Old Delhi Railway station, Shaheed Captain Batra Chowk and in front of LNJP hospital in Central Delhi, Ajmeri Gate chowk, Munja Chowk, Boulevard road, and stretches along South Delhi's Lala Lajpat Rai Marg, among others.

A government document notes that some of these proposed locations fall under the jurisdiction of other agencies, including the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Addressing this, an official stated, "For these locations, the department will inform the concerned agency and then further decisions will be taken on what is to be done."

The push for new FOBs comes in the backdrop of persistent issues and criticisms regarding the condition of existing foot over bridges across the city. The PWD has been admonished by the courts on multiple occasions over the poor state of these public facilities.

In 2023, the Delhi High Court notably described existing FOBs as being in such a "pathetic condition" that they were unusable even by a healthy person. A study conducted by the Planning department in 2018 had earlier highlighted significant deficiencies, reporting that at the time, 77 per cent of FOBs lacked lift facilities, only 23 per cent had escalators, and approximately 70 per cent did not have a security guard present.

In response to court criticisms and to improve maintenance, the PWD had previously assured the court that necessary repairs and changes would be made. The department also announced the formation of a committee specifically tasked with looking after the maintenance of these public facilities. This committee subsequently developed a comprehensive plan for maintaining the FOBs, which includes regular cleaning and implementing measures to protect them from theft and vandalism.

The new proposal for 21 additional FOBs indicates a renewed focus on enhancing pedestrian infrastructure and improving urban mobility across Delhi.