Palike sources said the dozen locations, where heavy traffic flow cause inconvenience to pedestrians and where jaywalking is the order, have been chosen for installation of the skywalks. The spots that the BBMP has identified are Christ College, Commercial Street, Devaraj Urs Road, Himalaya Theatre, Lashkar Road Forum, MS Building, Richmond Road, Shivananda Circle near Desai Hospital, SMS Railway Junction, Subramanyanagar Police Station, Webb Junction near MG Road and Rajaram Mohan Roy Road.
Each skywalk, to which escalators will be rigged, is expected to cost anywhere between Rs 70-75 lakh. A short-term tender notification was issued on Janaury 13, two days before the BBMP election code of conduct came into effect. Once the civic polls were cancelled, the BBMP reinitiated the tender awarding process which is now in the finalisation stage, Palike sources said. Once awarded, the contract will remain effective for 20 years.
The escalators would be constructed on a Design, Build, Own, Operate and Transfer basis, but users will not have to pay a paisa. The prime source of income for the skywalk developers will be advertisement rights. The BBMP will earn Rs 65 lakh annually as part of the revenue sharing deal with the contractors.
Sources said the skywalks will be fitted with aesthetically designed capsule lifts and ramps. A combination of lifts and staircases will help pedestrians use the skywalks wherever ramps are not built.
The project is part of the BBMP’s attempt to make the City roads safer not only for senior citizens but also as a measure to curb jaywalking.