Bengaluru has a number of pedestrian skywalks and foot overbridges to make crossing busy roads safer and easier. Some of them are good-looking, well-designed, and maintained, but others are broken, and pedestrians are forced to contend with broken infrastructure, unhygienic conditions, and lack of accessibility. A facility designed to make life easier for pedestrians shouldn’t be another hurdle for the people who are supposed to have access to the street to go through it.
One such example is the skywalk in the Majestic area after Janata Bazaar–Alankar Plaza, which is used by many pedestrians to cross a busy road. There has been concern about the condition of the facility, and the authorities have been asked to examine it and to make it pedestrian-friendly.
Some skywalks in Bengaluru are well done, while some are as bad as this. This one is in the Majestic area, after Janata Bazaar–Alankar Plaza, and is used by many pedestrians to cross a busy road. @BCCCofficial, can this be looked into and made more pedestrian-friendly? A facility meant for pedestrians shouldn’t become a challenge for them. VC : IG/ond_sala
— Bengaluru Post (@bengalurupost1) October 16, 2026
Bengaluru’s Skywalks Need Better Maintenance.
Pavement foot overbridges across various parts of Bengaluru offer a mixed picture of pedestrian foot overbridges. Some appear a nice way to cross busy roads with pedestrian foot overbridges while others are poorly maintained and difficult to use. Lifts are frequently broken or not working at facilities where lifts are available, especially at places where stairs are provided for people who can’t comfortably handle stairs.
For senior citizens, people with disabilities, pregnant women, parents who have young children, and those with temporary mobility problems, a staircase-only skywalk can be a serious challenge. If a lift is installed but does not work, it might effectively become inaccessible to those who depend on it.
Cleanliness is another issue. Dirty staircases, corners with no corners, and poorly maintained walkways can be unpleasant to use. When we are expecting people to climb eight flights of stairs, the least we can expect from them is a clean, safe and accessible place.
So authorities must look beyond the construction of skywalks and focus on their regular maintenance, accessibility and actual usefulness to the public.
A Foot Overbridge Becomes a Shelter from Rain.
I was reminded by my experience near Bommanahalli yesterday of how important a pedestrian foot overbridge can be.
It was raining and many people had taken refuge on the foot overbridge waiting for their buses. The structure provided shelter from the rain to people who were waiting for their buses.
What was remarkable to me was the fact that the foot overbridge was working and there were so many people crossing it. Besides transporting people who had to cross a busy road, it had another use besides pedestrians in the moment, during a city when commuters’ needs were to be protected from the weather.
Indeed, this experience highlighted the need for pedestrian infrastructure that is really useful, well-maintained, and to help people in everyday scenarios that would be helpful and serve people. A properly constructed and maintained foot overbridge that does a lot, in fact, matters for commuters, especially during Bengaluru’s unpredictable rainfall.
Not every skywalk has the same experience. When a facility is dirty, difficult to access, or equipped with lifts that don’t work, its usefulness is greatly reduced.
As such, public safety should be a priority for us to have the safety of pedestrians be made a priority.
A good foot overbridge in Bommanahalli and concerns about the skywalk in Majestic raise an important question: why should pedestrians have much different experiences using infrastructure built for the same purpose?
The authorities involved, such as Bengaluru’s civic administration, should inspect poorly maintained skywalks, ensure lifts are running, clean in a way that lifts can be operated at all times, and that they make better accessibility for people with disabilities.
Once the construction is completed, maintenance should not be dropped out of the picture. If these facilities are to be of use to the public, regular inspections, timely repairs, and a system to report problems need to be in place.
Bengaluru needs pedestrian infrastructure that works for everyone, not only those who can climb stairs comfortably. A foot overbridge for crossing a busy road, driving to work or sheltering from sudden rain would make the walk easier, safer and more pleasant.
A facility for pedestrians should never become a challenge for them. It is time for the authorities to make Bengaluru’s skywalk safe, clean and easily accessible.
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