It Showed just how pedestrian-unfriendly our city is, when the southern arm of the much-delayed Barfiwala flyover opened this June, bringing relief to motorists but nothing more than frustration for those who prefer to walk
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As a result, these pedestrians now walk dangerously on this stretch of road that meets the flyover. Major traffic jams have also been observed on the flyover, thanks to people crossing the road.u00a0
According to traffic officials manning this stretch, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has made a grave mistake that could easily have been avoided, had they built a Foot over Bridge over this stretch.
An official from the Mumbai Traffic Police, who requested anonymity, said, "If the MSRDC had sought our suggestion, we could have suggested solutions. Now it's difficult to solve the issue. Pedestrians will keep crossing this road."
When this reporter visited the spot on Friday, he found pedestrians trying to cross this stretch of road, several of them school students. However, as would be the case, cars on the flyover were speeding and pedestrians were sprinting dangerously to avoid being hit by vehicles.
Mahadev Shinde, a senior citizen who often used the once operational footpath, said, "If the authorities would have planned it in a better way, this problem would not have arisen.
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Senior citizens like us have to run around dangerously to cross this road. From all of this, one thing is clear. Authorities only consider the problems of motorists. Our safety is a non-issue." Despite repeated attempts, no official from the MSRDC was available for comment.
