FCT residents share concerns over the risky crossing of highways and frequent deaths.
Crossing expressways without using pedestrian bridges has become a daily practice in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, and its environs.
It was also gathered that residents abandon similar bridges in locations like Gwarinpa, Gwagwalada, Lugbe, Berger, NICON junction, Wuye, Nyanya, and Mararaba, an outskirt of the FCT domiciled in Nasarawa state.
Instead, the pedestrian bridges now serve as markets, display stands for wares and resting places for homeless persons.
Many lives have been lost in the FCT and its environs as residents venture to cross the expressway instead of using pedestrian bridges across the nation’s capital city.
However, in some instances, the victims had no choice, as there was no pedestrian bridge available at the point they had to cross the expressway.
It was gathered that in April, a young man who was on his way to work was knocked down as he tried to cross the expressway at Berger Junction in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The young man died on the spot.
Eyewitnesses said the young man’s office was just across the road, and as there was no pedestrian bridge at that particular location, he decided to cross the expressway to get to his place of work.
Unfortunately, he was knocked down by a vehicle moving at top speed.
Also, in early May, another young man who decided to cross the expressway, instead of using the pedestrian bridge, at the Galadimawa Junction along the Kubwa Expressway in Abuja, was killed by a fast moving vehicle.
It was reported that the driver of the vehicle, who was nearly mobbed by a crowd that gathered at the scene of the incident, lamented that he did not see the victim until it was too late, as he did not expect anybody to cross the expressway, when there is a pedestrian bridge available.
The driver’s explanations, however, calmed down the angry crowd, and a group of policemen stationed at a police post at the junction admonished the gathering on the need to use pedestrian bridges, instead of taking the risky option of crossing the expressway.
The pedestrian bridges are considered key infrastructure in modern road projects, especially in densely populated urban centres to ensure safety on the roads.
Unfortunately, most residents in the city neglect this safety measure and prefer crossing the highways, thereby slowing down vehicular movement.
Most expressways in Abuja are constructed and divided with concrete barricades, which points against highway foot crossing, but residents usually jump over these barricades to cross the road.
Residents jump down from the barricades and would not be able to control themselves in the middle of the road until a driver applied the brake.
A Non-Governmental Organization, Uche Collins Foundation, has sought partnership with relevant stakeholders to increase sensitization on the use of pedestrian bridges in the territory’s highways.
The Foundation stressed that many of the pedestrian bridges in the nation’s capital were being seen as monumental decorations rather than being used by pedestrians for their safety.
“As an NGO, we feel the need to increase sensitization and awareness of this public facility, hence reaching out to good spirited individual, organizations to partner with us in driving this message,” the Foundation said.
Speaking with residents in the FCT, It was gathered that many road users are aware of the risk of crossing the roads without the use of the pedestrian bridges.
Some of the FCT residents explained that they cross the highway when they are in a hurry to work or have urgent appointments, adding that using the pedestrian bridge could be stressful, as they don’t have the required time to complete such a journey.
A resident of Nyanya, Peter Adebayo, who lives in a street nearby to a pedestrian bridge, described the act as ‘open-source to death’ stressing that those who cross the highway are risking their lives.
“If you cross the expressway without using the pedestrian bridge, it sometimes leads to accidents because the highways are meant for vehicular movement and not for footpaths.
“Residents who engage in the practice risk their lives, especially during rush-hours in the morning.
“Highway is a motor lane at high speed and it is not safe to cross the highway on foot, those crossing because they are in a hurry are endangering their lives.
“I usually take my time whenever I wanted to cross the expressway because I think it is the safest thing for me to do, though on the other hand the government is also endangering the citizens because they site pedestrian bridges at the wrong place, even to trek from bus stops to pedestrian bridge is another journey and I think that’s why people usually cross the highway because they don’t have the required time to cover up,” he stated.
In the same way, another FCT resident in Kugbo, Abuja, Mr Ola Abiola criticized the government and contractors for building pedestrian bridges where it is not useful.
Abiola said, “Most pedestrian bridges in Abuja are not built at the right place, for instance in Wuye.
“Government needs to ensure proper supervision of projects that concern human life.”
A resident, Ephrain Ager, who was witnessed crossing the Musa Yar-Adua Expressway, Airport Road, when asked the reason for taking such risk, agreed that it was not the right thing to do.
He stated that people would rather cross the road because most of the bridges in FCT are situated at a distance of about 1 kilometre from the bus stop.
“Yes, we have seen many people lose their lives here on this road,” he said.
Another FCT resident, Ngozi Nnanna, however, said safety should always come first irrespective of the distance of the pedestrian bridges.
“I am taking the pedestrian bridge because it is safer. Of what use are the bridges constructed by the government if they are ignored by pedestrians,” she asked.
According to a taxi driver, Ikechukwu Ubani, pedestrians underrate the high speed of moving vehicles on the express roads.
Ubani said, “They usually think moving vehicles are far but not knowing that the distance can be covered in a few seconds and they run into the road and they get hit.”
Efforts to speak with the Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on measures to enforce the compulsory usage of pedestrian bridges across the FCT, and other concerns raised by residents proved abortive as several calls put across were not responded to.
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