Rs113-cr plan to install bollards on Mumbai’s footpaths

The civic body has invited tenders for 36 months, excluding the monsoon.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will soon install glass fibre railings and bollards (vertical post) on the city’s footpaths at the cost of ₹113.25 crore.

According to the tender, three separate contracts of ₹37.75 crore have been invited for the island city, western suburbs and eastern suburbs to provide and install the glass railings. (HT image)

The move is expected to prevent encroachments and two-wheelers from using the footpaths.

The civic body has invited tenders for 36 months, excluding the monsoon.

According to the tender, three separate contracts of ₹37.75 crore have been invited for the island city, western suburbs and eastern suburbs to provide and install the glass railings.

The BMC has been emphasising on improving the quality of footpaths in the city for which, it had also allocated a separate budget of ₹100 crore for their improvement in the 2019-2020 budget.

However, activists are questioning the huge amount which has been allocated for this purpose.

Zoru Bhathena, an activist from Bandra, said, “The bollards at Bandra Khar road are broken as they are not fixed properly. Instead of preventing hawkers, it will actually work as a wall to tie up bamboo sticks and erect sheds.” He questioned the civic body about the need for bollards across the city when they are already fixed at required spots.