Sans foot overbridge, people face trouble crossing road outside Ludhiana bus stand

Tribune News Service

Harshraj Singh

Ludhiana, November 28

Visitors face a lot of inconvenience while crossing the Link Road (NH-5) outside Amar Shaheed Sukhdev Interstate Bus Terminal in the absence of any foot overbridge (FOB), which is a long-pending demand of the people here. Now, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planning to construct a foot overbridge there if no obstacle comes in the planned project.

Iron grills were installed on the central verge of Link Road outside the bus stand several years ago to stop people from crossing the main road in a wrong manner by jumping the road divider. But, people usually used to cross busy stretches of the Link Road via the divider to reach the bus stand from the Jawahar Nagar side in the absence of the FOB for pedestrians.

Project Director, NHAI, KL Sachdeva, said the NHAI had planned to construct a FOB there soon.

He said the tender in this regard was floated and the agency was finalised too. However, the work could be started there only if the required space was provided for the construction of the FOB without any obstacle or opposition.

Notably, residents and NGOs had raised the demand for the construction of a foot overbridge in the past too so that pedestrians can safely reach the bus stand from another side of the road. A road safety activist, Rahul Verma, said there was a dire need for a foot overbridge outside the bus stand. In a meeting with officials, the plan regarding the FOB was also discussed.

A city resident, Sukhpreet Singh, said, “When we come from the Gill Road side, vehicles often halt on the Jawahar Nagar side of the road. It is difficult to cross the main road that remains busy always. Jumping the centre verge is like putting your own life at risk. The elderly face problems while crossing the road.”

He said many pedestrians usually did not opt for another way (under the flyover) to reach the bus stand as it remains busy with heavy movement of buses. Also, there was no provision for footpaths. The NHAI and the local administration must take requisite steps to get the FOB with ramp facilities constructed there, he added.

Residents care two hoots for rules

Iron grills were installed on the central verge of Link Road outside the bus stand several years ago to stop people from crossing the main road in a wrong manner by jumping the road divider. However, people usually cross busy stretches of the Link Road via the divider to reach the bus stand from the Jawahar Nagar side in the absence of the FOB for pedestrians.

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