A ‘Skywalk' at Thampanoor has been proposed along with the 41.8-km monorail, an elevated rail-based mass rapid transit system (MRTS), on the Pallippuram-Neyyattinkara stretch of the city.
The National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (Natpac), in its feasibility report, has recommended pedestrian facilities along with the MRTS which will run at an interval of every five minutes, with stoppages of 20 to 30 seconds at each of the 35 stations.
Adequate facilities have also been mooted for physically challenged people at all the 35 monorail stations and in low floor buses that are to link the stations with suburban areas.
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Pedestrian crossing facilities are being proposed at the level of concourses of stations. This segregated and safe pedestrian crossing at every 800 m to 1500 m along the proposed corridor is expected to reduce pedestrian accidents.
Contemporary interiors are being planned for the enclosed pedestrian crossings. Lifts and escalators will benefit the disabled and the senior citizens immensely.
Those intending to travel via the MRTS will have to move to the concourse level. Since the city is yet to have proper pedestrian facilities like skywalks, the crossings at monorail stations will come in handy for all class of road-users.
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Skywalk is being proposed from the monorail station at Thampanoor, connecting Thiruvananthapuram Central, the upcoming 10-storeyed KSRTC bus terminal complex, Chalai and East Fort, the hub of KSRTC's city bus services.
A skywalk across the railway line and Power House Road has been mooted as the MRTS will not operate to East Fort.
The first phase of the monorail ends at Thampanoor and the last stop has been proposed opposite to Sreekumar Theatre. The skywalk will help commuters shift to different modes of travel easily on getting down at East Fort and Thampanoor. Chalai, being the main market centre, is to be connected with monorail through the skywalk.