The Hazards Of Abuja Pedestrian Bridges

The 26th of November 2012 is one day in the life of Rashida that she would want to forget in hurry.

The journalist was on her way home from work, around 9:00 pm, full of smiles, because she had just been paid. Joyfully therefore, she did some quick mental arithmetic and a review of her plans for her Christmas spendings.

Her route took her across a pedestrian bridge near a car- wash base at the Lugbe Bus Stop, a suburb of Abuja. Unknown to her, she was being followed by hoodlums.

Lost in her dreams as she crossed the bridge in her world of oblivion, the rude awakening arrived suddenly.  She felt a sharp blow on her head, and before she could regain her posture, her handbag had been snatched from her! Having asked to take it directly, as she needed it that night to pay her rent to an impatient landlord, her whole salary was in the bag! One needs not use many words to describe her shock and sense of loss. It is better imagined than described.

Globally, a pedestrian bridge is necessary for ameliorating the traffic challenges of any city or metropolitan area as it enhances easier movement of pedestrians who would otherwise have been at risk trying to cross busy roads or waste time in careful wait till the speeding cars passed. While these bridges save life therefore, they save time as well, not to mention making things easier for drivers who would not have to apply brakes suddenly to avoid killing or who may have to kill. The importance of bridges cannot be enumerated, hence the huge investments in them.

Yet, at the other side of the coin is this picture of Rashida and her likes who have become victims of hoodlums and outright criminals who take these bridges for homes. Not only have these urchins turned these bridges into their domicile; they defecate around them and sometimes on them.

A walk on the pedestrian bridge at Dei-Dei, Kubwa for instance, is a health hazard as one is greeted with the revolting stench of faeces and urine. It is not easy repressing the nauseating urge to vomit. Yet this bridge has just been constructed.

In the face of rapid urbanisation and its attendant social ills, such as population explosion, heavy human and vehicular traffic and frequent accidents in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), it indeed became imperative to construct these pedestrian bridges in many areas of the metropolis.

For many residents of the (FCT) however, pedestal bridges are probably new. Few years ago, they did not exist. These foot crossings were better known in cities like Lagos and Ibadan. But while awarding contracts for the comprehensive expansion of the Abuja-Lugbe-Airport and Zuba-Dei-Dei-Kubwa-Abuja roads, pedestal bridges were prudently awarded as necessary interventions.

The World Bank, the Federal Capital Territory Administration, the Federal Ministry of Works with its coordinating unit, the Road Sector Development Team (RSDT) awarded multiple contracts for such bridges particularly to ease crossing of roads within the metropolis as scores of people had been knocked down by fast moving vehicles.

Some of the new bridges under construction are at Mabushi near the Ministry of Works, Banex Plaza junction, NICON junction, Area 3 junction, Wuye junction and Sheraton Hotel by the ShehuYar'Adua junction.

Since more of these bridges are being constructed, and those already completed have become the homes of criminals, one may imagine what would happen when all are completed. Instead of saving lives, these bridges would rather become sources of danger to their users, especially women.

This state of affairs invariably hinders their use, hence pedestrians being forced to cross roads with their attendant dangers. In effect,the very purpose for constructing these bridges has been defeated!

The indiscipline covers the use of these bridges as shops! Some traders who could not acquireshops in Abuja, have turned these bridges to make- shift selling spots. They also constitute a menace to users of these bridges as some harass passers-by to patronise their wares. One wonders what the Environmental Protection Agency's duties are.

A visitor to Abuja expects Abuja to be a city boasting of unrivalled beauty, cleanliness and arty architectural but the pedestrian bridges on ground do not help to depict such.

Hawkers and beggars in their hundreds have brazenly taken over some of these new bridges along the Abuja-Kubwa expressway.

Most of these petty traders and beggars had, at one time or the other, escaped from the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), for the board's officials had embarked on surveillance and intermittent raids around the Abuja metropolis and rounded up many.

An official of AEPB told GOVERNMENT they are doing their best to rid thebridges of these tearaways, but immediately they (the AEPB) are spotted, they run away only to return later.

Bola, a street trader interviewed, says "I have no money to pay for shops. Shops in Abuja are very expensive. Government should build affordable shops for the masses."

Some pedestrians interviewed suggested that government provides adequate waste disposal bins close to these bridges. Also, there is need for adequate security.

Indeed, the FCT administration should ensure that adequate waste disposal bins and security are provided. Also, the new bridges should portray the standards expected of Abuja in architectural designs, with bright lights, as the night is mostly used for these robbery activities.

Culled from LEADERSHIP Government

---

Original Page: http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/43705/2012/12/29/hazards_abuja_pedestrian_bridges.html