Bengaluru, 9 July

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya urged Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to go ahead with the proposed Banashankari skywalk at the bus terminal, as officials are considering its feasibility, given plans to build a B-SMILE flyover at the same stretch.

In his letter, Surya noted that the Banashankari terminal handles nearly 50,000 commuters daily, with at least 7,000 pedestrians per hour, stressing the need for a skywalk for people’s safety. However, during a recent meeting, officials were directed to submit a report on whether the skywalk could be built alongside the flyover, which Surya said raises questions about whether the long-pending project would be implemented.

In 2024, the cost the proposed a 280m-long and six-metre-wide skywalk was estimated at Rs 45 crore, with the BMRCL agreeing to contribute Rs 25 crore. Tenders were invited in 2025, but “despite the availability of funding, an approved design and the completion of the tendering process, the project witnessed no meaningful progress on the ground,” the BJP MP claimed.

“A few weeks ago, an elderly woman lost her life while trying to cross the road at Banashankari. It was another tragedy that could have been prevented,” he posted on X, calling for the work on the skywalk to commence.