More pedestrians are still not using the footbridges at Madina and Adenta in Accra, exposing their lives to danger.
Despite several knockdowns and deaths that resulted in demonstrations for these footbridges, people say they prefer using speedways and unauthorised places for comfort.
The footbridges on the six-kilometre Madina-Adentan highway became necessary after violent protests by residents.
The death of a female first-year student of the West African Senior High School in 2018 ignited series of riots by residents.
Government subsequently completed the bridges for pedestrian usage; but, for years now, many pedestrians do not use the bridges.
Some parents even cross the speedways with toddlers, and they seem unperturbed or unconcerned about the potential dangers they expose the children to.
The justification is that the footbridges are too high to climb them, with some saying that they want a more comfortable way of moving from one side of the road to another.
“Using the footbridge delays my movement. some people walk very slowly on it – I can’t bear that. We know it is risky but using the speedways to cross the road is faster,” a pedestrian told TV3.
“Using the overhead is not a small job; I have tried it, especially when you are carrying something on your head. So, usually, when the sun sets and there is traffic, we try to pass through.”
“When somebody has arthritis and you ask them to climb the overhead, you know what will happen. Secondly, when the person has blood pressure, climbing the overhead will push the level of the person’s BP,” they said.
Several arrests have been made by officials of the LA Nkwantanang-Madina Assembly.
It seems that is not deterrent enough.
According to the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for La Nkwantanang-Madina Assembly, “city authorities have their role to play” whereas “the individual citizens also have their role to play.”
“We also have officers that are there, trying to get people to use the footbridge. Imagine that we are spending so much money to pay people and their job is just to ask people to use the footbridge,” Jennifer Dede Adjabeng expressed worry.
The structural design of this bridge is one that has been a major problem for residents and pedestrians.
Civil Engineer Joseph Oddei highlights some of the factors that could have influenced the design.
“If there were no traffic lights, how were people going to cross the road? If you look at the Madina Zongo Junction, they have a difficult space constraint…it means that we need a simple stair case,” he noted.
Fewer people use the overhead in a day as compared to the numbers that cross the road using the speedways.
Currently, the footbridge has turned into a market avenue for traders with several traders pitching camp on the stair case and on the bridge itself.
The Assembly says it is racing against time to introduce by-laws to deal with the menace.
Data from the Police MTTD indicate that at least one person is knocked down at the madina zongo junction each day.
This is a major concern for the assembly.
“The knockdowns have not stopped, they are still there. We know about a woman who was crossing with a 10-year-old girl. Unfortunately, a car knocked down the 10-year-old. It may look like the footbridges are very long and unfriendly, but they are safer; they protect your life,” Madina MCE Jennifer Adjabeng added.
Some pedestrians maintain that using the footbridge is safer than crossing the road using the speedways.
For Ing. Oddei, the design and construction of these footbridges must come with consultations and considerations that would motivate people to use them.
As the non-adherence continues day and night, the assembly says it is racing against time to implement by-laws to ensure stiffer sanctions for offenders.
“There’s a committee that has been tasked to actually work on it [by-law]. The processes are going on before we come out with a by-law on this.”