Mumbai: Amid Gokhale bridge closure, demand for access to railway foot-over bridge at Andheri arises

Mumbai: As the Gokhale bridge demolition started from Monday, Andheri residents have initiated an online petition urging the authorities concerned to finish the works at war-footing in the next one year to avoid any further inconvenience to the public.

Civil society activists have also written to the railways and BMC asking them to allow temporary usage of a pedestrian bridge within the vicinity of the railway station to ease pedestrian movement. 

Apart from that, the Watchdog Foundation, a citizen forum, has written to the Chief Minister, BMC and Western Railway (WR) demanding pedestrian access on the railway foot over bridge at the Andheri station for a temporary period. 

Watchdog Foundation: 'Utter chaos in traffic management'

Godfrey Pimenta from the Watchdog Foundation said, “The closure of Gokhale bridge has led to utter chaos in traffic management. The Andheri Subway as well as the railway flyover near the Parle G Factory at Vile Parle have had chaotic scenes since morning. Traffic Police personnel are nowhere to be seen to effectively manage the traffic. The hawkers below the Andheri Metro Station have further compounded the problem of people.”

He further said that the state government and BMC should make a proposal to the WR for allowing pedestrians to use the southbound railway bridge at Andheri station till the Gokhale bridge is opened to the public. Mr Pimenta also said that the tender for reconstruction of Gokhale bridge should be provided with a hefty bonus so that the project gets completed within a period of six months or so.