Footbridges must not be ‘deathtraps’

No matter how many roads and flyovers are built to accommodate vehicles in the country, pedestrian safety has always been something least prioritised by our authorities. Even in the capital city of Dhaka, in a busy area like Paribagh, a major pedestrian bridge remains “cordoned off” for months. A recent report by Prothom Alo highlights the deadly state of the foot overbridge: missing steps, existing ones being eaten away by rust and age, and littered landings. A cable restricts entry at the foot of the bridge in a flimsy effort to prevent pedestrians from using it. But without a safer alternative, most pedestrians either use the road to cross or use the broken bridge anyway.

Unfortunately, the Paribagh footbridge is not an exception in the city. One would struggle to find a foot overbridge in Dhaka that is in perfectly usable condition. When the steps are not completely broken or missing altogether, they are uneven and visibly dirty. At night, with lighting being inadequate or absent, these bridges become hubs for criminals of various degrees. It is not uncommon for pedestrians to be mugged or physically harmed at night when using such dark footbridges.

All of these factors make it so that pedestrians have to resort to simply crossing the busy roads. Here, too, they are forced to accept great risk as few vehicles abide by basic traffic rules such as driving per the speed limit and not occupying zebra crossings. Needless to say, this level of inaccessibility follows pedestrians onto the footpaths as well. Not only are these usually uneven, but they are often scattered with open manholes that pose further danger to pedestrians. In many areas, footpaths are also occupied by the wares of formal and informal businesses, making them all the more difficult for pedestrians to navigate.

Bangladesh’s urban centres have a reputation for being extremely unwalkable. It is unacceptable that necessary structures such as foot overbridges, which are constructed using taxpayers’ money, should remain in such dilapidated states for months. In a country where walking is a big part of commuting, the government must prioritise the construction and upkeep of pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. Without adequate foot overbridges, people are exposed to various crimes, physical injury, and even the risk of death.