Swanky new air-conditioned FoB near GVK Mall to be thrown open to public soon

With two lifts, each with a capacity of 10 persons, and two escalators, this FoB will ensure a smooth flow of pedestrians crossing this busy junction

Hyderabad: Easing pedestrian woes on Banjara Hills Road No 1, a swanky new air-conditioned Foot-over-Bridge (FoB) near the GVK Mall is all set to be thrown open to the public in a fortnight’s time.

The steel structure supporting conwood board frame and glass is built at an estimated cost of Rs 5 crore by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC). With two lifts, each with a capacity of 10 persons, and two escalators, this FoB will ensure a smooth flow of pedestrians crossing this busy junction. The lifts and escalators will make it easier for specially-abled and elderly persons to access the bridge. “There’s both GVK Mall and NIMS Hospital in that area. And there is also a bus stop nearby. So we are expecting that the public will make full use of the FoB,” said an official from the GHMC.

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The entire stretch will be under surveillance using eight CCTV cameras and since the FoB will be a closed space with glass walls, it is going to be air-conditioned. This FoB has foyers on either side of the road opening up into two different lanes — Street No. 4 next to Hyatt Place and Post Office Lane next to GVK Mall — which will make for a convenient pathway to crossing.

Throughout the day and well into the night, Road No 1 in Banjara Hills experiences a constant flow of vehicles. For a long time now, the traffic density made it extremely challenging for pedestrians to cross the road here.

Meanwhile, the GHMC has taken up the construction of multiple other FoBs in the city to ensure pedestrian safety. With an estimated cost of Rs 76.85 crore, a total of 22 FoBs were approved. While 10 of those have already been completed, the construction of the remaining 12 is underway.

Pedestrian safety prime focus for GHMC

The civic body in the last few months has put in significant efforts to ensure pedestrian safety on city roads. Along with the construction of Foot over Bridges, pedestrian islands have been developed at busy junctions. As many as 31 pelican signals have also been installed. Two traffic volunteers are posted at each of these signals to help people cross the roads safely.