Madina: Pedestrians Still Dodge Footbridges Despite Recent Arrests

More pedestrians are still using the speedways and crossing the road at unauthorized places at Madina Zongo Junction, at the risk of their lives, leaving the newly constructed footbridge idle.

A visit by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) to the site on Friday showed that many pedestrians were avoiding the use of the footbridge.

Those who spoke to the Ghana News Agency said the footbridge was too high and that they got scared when climbing it.

Ms Regina Gyeketey, a pedestrian, said although she used the footbridge every morning, its height put fear in her and she had to drink a sachet of water before climbing it.

She said despite the fear, she used it because it was safer than crossing the road using the speedways, noting that the motor accidents had become rampant on that stretch so she would not risk it.

She said it would be prudent if the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) of the Police Servcie resumed its operation of arresting pedestrians who crossed the road at unauthorized places.

Mr Kusi Baah, another pedestrian, said, to ensure the use of the footbridge, the MTTD ought to keep arresting individual pedestrians who refused to use it.

“We should save the lives of those crossing wrongly by continuously arresting them.”

Madam Mavis Owusua, who crossed through the traffic light with about a four-year old child, said she normally used the footbridge but crossed the speedway because the cars had stopped on the indication of the traffic light.

“I am a regular user of the footbridge since it was opened but for today”.

Mr David Kondor, a Media Consultant to the World Bank, said there was no justification for people to refuse to use the bridge.

However, he said, the Engineers should have considered the practical needs of the users, adding that the excuse of height was frivolous and urged the public to adopt to its usage to ensure their safety.

The GNA found that it takes an average of three minutes to cross the footbridge from the base while a pedestrian could spend an average of five to 10 minutes waiting to cross the speedways at the risk of their lives.

In recent times, residents of Adentan and Madina had protested the six uncompleted footbridges on the stretch, complaining about the many lives lost crossing the speedways.

Police had earlier arrested 110 pedestrians for jaywalking on the stretch.

—citinewsroom