Hyderabad, August 17: India’s first Foot-over Bridge (FOB) with escalator was inaugurated in Hyderabad city.
With Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan opening the swanky state-of-the-art(FOB) at Road No 2, in the upmarket Banjara Hills, the pearl city has become the first in the country to have an FOB with escalators and elevators.
The FOB has been constructed at a cost of Rs. 3 crore, and is part of the Public-Private-Partnership between the GHMC and Prakash Arts Pvt Ltd on a Build, Operate, Transfer (BOT) basis at their own cost allotted in an open-bid auction under the ‘Fund Your City’ program.
Governor Narasimhan told media persons, after inaugurating the FOB, that he has advised the police and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation authorities to ban people from crossing roads on foot wherever FOBs are present. Corporates must come forward to take up social service as part of their social responsibility, he said.
The city, he said needs many more such FOBs and there was an urgent need to work towards instilling traffic sense among the people of the city. The elevator and escalators would be very useful for the old, infirm and children, he added. The FOB will be open for public use from 6am to 10pm, and security would be provided round -the- clock. Four more such FOBs are proposed to be built at Abids, Begumpet Police Lines, Hi-Tech City and Dilsukhnagar.
The FOB has been built with elevators and escalators keeping the needs of senior citizens, physically impaired and handicapped persons in mind.
It has been installed with outdoor elevators and escalators made from stainless steel, and is equipped with automatic door operation electrical mechanical lock, automotive switching system and suspension ropes.
The GHMC will take over ownership of the FOB after completion of the BOT period.
——-UNI