GHMC to float tenders for maintenance of 23 foot-over-bridges

After being ignored or used as props for billboards for years, foot-over-bridges (FoBs) in the city have finally been paid due attention by the authorities. The standing committee meeting of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), during its Thursday’s meeting, approved the proposal to invite tenders for maintenance of 23 FoBs.

The FoBs for which tenders will be floated for maintenance, include 15 newly-constructed ones, some of which are yet to be opened for pedestrians.

The new FoBs include the ones constructed at Dilsukhnagar, Saroornagar, Chandrayangutta, Rajendranagar, Punjagutta, Banjara Hills road no. 1, Erragadda, Madinaguda, Miyapur, Moosapet, Balanagar, Shapurnagar, Neredmet, Tarnaka, and Secunderabad.

Of these, the bridges in Punjagutta, Banjara Hills, Erragadda, Madinaguda, Miyapur, Shapurnagar, and Secunderabad have escalators.

In the case of many FoBs, the escalators and elevators have been defunct for years now, making them practically useless. A case in point is the bridge at St. Ann’s School in Secunderabad, which was first built in 2005 after a four-year-old child from the school was killed in an accident while crossing the road. The structure was dismantled to facilitate the Metro Rail construction, and was reconstructed two years ago.

“The elevator and escalator both have not been functional for months, which makes it very difficult for students to climb over it carrying their school bags,” said P. Sowjanya, a parent.

The word ‘defunct’ has come to define practically every FoB which is fitted with an elevator and escalator. With no funding for maintenance, no patrons in the form of advertisers nor many pedestrians opting to use them, they have remained the icons of wasted funds across the city.

The escalator of the newly built FoB at Neredmet has been dysfunctional for more than six months, posted Robin Zaccheus, an X user, ridiculing the GHMC’s idea of installing more FoBs in the city.

“The elevators and escalators of the FoB near Croma Madinaguda are non functional since many months which creates difficulty for senior citizens and specially abled people. Request to take cognizance [sic],” posted Anil Kumar Subudhi, tagging GHMC.

Commuters inform that at none of the FoBs on the stretch starting from Punjagutta up to Inorbit Mall have functional escalators and elevators. This includes the bridges at Punjagutta, Road No.3 Banjara Hills, LV Prasad Eye Hospital, and the Inorbit Mall.

GHMC officials informed that there is no proposal to lease out the FoBs cleared by the standing committee to advertising agencies for revenue. Instead, GHMC has set a base price of ₹13.59 crore per annum for maintenance of the 23 FoBs for a period of five years, which may be extended to five more years based on the performance.