Revamped Sion ROB blocking access to school, church: Protesters

On Sunday, students and authorities of the Our Lady of Good Counsel School and Church in Sion East including principal Fr Salvador D’Souza and parish priest Fr Tony D’Souza staged a silent protest on the newly reconstructed bridge, demanding restoration of vehicular access to the school and church premises

Mumbai: The reconstructed Sion railway overbridge, which was inaugurated on October 22, has blocked the road used by vehicles to access the Our Lady of Good Counsel School and Church in Sion East, inconveniencing nearly 1,400 students and scores of parishioners.

On Sunday, students of the Our Lady of Good Counsel School and Church in Sion East staged a silent protest on the newly reconstructed bridge

On Sunday, students, school authorities and priests including principal Fr Salvador D’Souza and parish priest Fr Tony D’Souza staged a silent protest on the newly reconstructed bridge, demanding restoration of vehicular access to the school and church premises.

“The problem is not just about movement of vehicles. It is also about the safety of children and the dignity of people visiting the church as even ambulances, fire brigade vehicles and hearses are facing difficulties in accessing the premises,” said Dolphy D’Souza, spokesperson of the Bombay Catholic Sabha, which organised Sunday’s protest.

According to protesters, since the new overbridge was higher than the earlier one, its retaining wall had blocked the adjacent road using which school buses and other vehicles entered the school and church compound. Vehicles now needed to take a long detour via the Eastern Express Highway to access the premises, leading to delays and traffic snarls, protesters said.

“Instead of serving its intended purpose, the skywalk has become an obstruction for pedestrians and students and is being misused by anti-social elements,” Colaco said, urging the civic body to dismantle the structure. He also sought against those responsible for the “faulty” design of the railway overbridge.

Protesters also raised concerns over illegal hawking on the footpath outside the school and near the railway station. Some hawkers were using gas cylinders and kerosene stoves on the footpath, posing a fire risk, they said.

“We are not against anyone earning their livelihood, but cooking with gas cylinders and kerosene stoves right outside a school is dangerous. The footpath should be safe for children and pedestrians. We want the area to be declared a no-hawking zone,” D’Souza said.

Civic officials said the height of the reconstructed railway overbridge was increased as per the railway’s requirement for greater clearance between the tracks and the structure.

“The height of approach roads to the bridge had to be raised accordingly, blocking the entry to the school and church compound,” a senior official said, requesting anonymity.