CUMILLA, Bangladesh — Despite dozens of foot overbridges built at a cost of crores of taka, pedestrians along the busy Dhaka-Chattogram highway are breaking through metal grilles on the central divider and crossing the road on foot, officials said.
Foot overbridges have been built at major intersections, bus stations and key crossings to allow pedestrians to cross what is known as the country’s life-line highway. But most of those bridges sit empty, with people of all backgrounds choosing to dodge traffic across the carriageway. The result has been frequent and often fatal accidents.
To force pedestrians onto the overbridges, the Roads and Highways Department has installed iron grilles 100 to 200 meters long on low sections of the central divider. But local people break the grilles open at night to create crossing points, and unwary pedestrians use those gaps day and night to cross the highway.
The Cumilla road division said there are 54 foot overbridges along the 105-kilometer Cumilla stretch of the Dhaka-Chattogram highway. The government has spent crores of taka on each bridge, but people are crossing the highway on foot at the risk of their lives.
According to the highway police, 465 accidents occurred on the Dhaka-Chattogram highway in the past nine months. They killed 284 people and left 509 with permanent disabilities. Many were struck by vehicles while crossing the road.
At the Madhaiya bus stop in Chandina upazila, a foot overbridge built at a cost of crores of taka stood unused during a visit. Within a 100-foot stretch, low and cut sections of the divider allowed men, women and children of all ages to cross the highway at risk to their lives.
The Chandina-Bagur bus stop is an important hub. Residents of several unions in Chandina, Debidwar, Barura and Burichong upazilas use the station to travel across the country. The Roads and Highways Department installed tall iron grilles at least 200 meters long on both sides to channel people onto the overbridge. But locals break the grilles open in the dark, and thousands of pedestrians use the broken sections each day. Traffic jams are now a permanent feature at the station. Foot overbridges in the Elliotganj, Kutumbpur, Gobindpur and Nimsar stretches of the highway are also barely used.
On Nov. 19, a dump-truck driver was struck and killed by a speeding bus while crossing under a foot overbridge at the Kutumbpur stand. Several accidents have also occurred at the Madhaiya and Chandina bus stands, despite overbridges nearby.
Some of those crossing the highway cite illness, others say they want to save time, while still others said they were simply in the habit of darting in front of fast-moving traffic.
Officer-in-Charge Ruhul Amin of the Elliotganj highway police station said pedestrians needed to take greater care. “There is no alternative. With the powers we have, we are encouraging people to use the foot overbridges,” he said. “But those who use the road must be aware themselves.”
Khondkar Golam Mostafa, the Roads and Highways Department’s executive engineer in Cumilla, said the bridges had been built and it was up to road users to make use of them. “We have set up iron rods in the middle of the highway, but people break them and walk across,” he said. “We are doing what we can. People will have to be more aware.” Source: Kalbela.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report