KARACHI:
In most developing countries, pedestrian accidents are commonplace because of poor infrastructure and mismanagement of traffic. Some countries have resorted to the development of pedestrian overpasses to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities. This is an effective way to ease the crowd on the roads and ensure the safety of pedestrians.
I I Chundrigar Road, M A Jinnah Road, Rashid Minhas Road, etc are some of the busiest thoroughfares of Karachi that witness regular traffic jams and road accidents. Street hawkers and vendors often crowd the roads further narrowing space for vehicles and pedestrians. Although several pedestrian overpasses were built across Karachi, many people do not use them and instead can be found jaywalking. Therefore, the foremost thing to do is to encourage people to use pedestrian overpasses, which can be done by imposing a fine on jaywalking.
Additionally, most pedestrian bridges across the city are in a dismal state and dangerous to use. The iron rails of most overpasses are either broken or missing and their staircases are in a frail condition. Given Karachi’s deplorable traffic conditions and high rate of fatalities from accidents, the relevant authorities must install safe and sound overpasses in all busy areas. Pavements should be reformed, and crosswalks should be labelled on all signals. Also, pedestrians should practise safe behaviours and avoid disrupting traffic through jaywalking.
Intikhab Ulfat
Karachi
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2022.
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