Most of the footbridges in Dhaka, home to more than one crore people, are now either rundown or occupied by hawkers, homeless people or drug addicts, leaving little scope for people to use them.
The lighting arrangement for the footbridges, mostly erected in inappropriate spots, also does not work.
Many pedestrians, especially the elderly and people with disabilities, are left with no option but to walk across busy roads amid the risk of accidents.
鈥業 use footbridges only when I have no other choice. But after the afternoon, I cannot use most of them because I feel insecure. Homeless people or drug addicts keep the bridges occupied,鈥� said Priyanka, a university student, on Wednesday.
She said that it was difficult and unsafe to use the bridge by the Judicial Administration Training Institute on College Road because of its location and poor condition.
The bridge is in a deplorable state, with at least three holes on its deck. It remains littered with human faeces, emitting a foul smell. People also sleep on its stairs.
There are 31 footbridges in the Dhaka South City Corporation area and 62 in the Dhaka North City Corporation area.
The footbridge beside BIRDEM General Hospital at Shahbagh is also in hazardous condition, with a large hole in the deck and broken stairs, which make it risky for pedestrians to climb up or down.
鈥楾his footbridge became risky long ago. The hole on the deck can cause accidents at any time. I never use it, but some people still do,鈥� said Md Hasan, a florist who has been doing business there for 27 years.
The bridge was repaired two years ago, he said, but it soon fell into disrepair. People do not use it as homeless people occupy it at night.
Another footbridge, two minutes鈥� walk away beside the National Museum, is in relatively good shape. It has no holes in the steps of the stairs or on the deck.
The footbridge at Paribagh is closed to pedestrians as it is no longer fit for use. Tree branches have been placed to block access to the stairs.
Local residents said that they had used the footbridge amid risks for years before it was closed about two years ago. People now cross the busy road by climbing the railing of the median.
A middle-aged man said, 鈥業 would have to walk up to either the Intercontinental crossing or the Banglamotor crossing if I want to cross the road safely. As the crossings are too far, I climb over the railing instead.鈥�
Footbridges at the Banglamotor crossing, the Science Lab crossing and Mirpur 10 have no roof. Several footbridges at Banani have no functional escalators.
Hawkers, beggars and homeless people occupy footbridges, especially the few still usable, in areas such as Farmgate, Shyamali, Mohakhali, Matsya Bhaban, Shankhari Bazar, Azimpur and Banani.
The Bangladesh Institute of Planners president, Adil Muhammad Khan, said that Dhaka, which is densely populated, should have comfortable and accessible footbridges.
Many footbridges have been erected in inappropriate locations. They are poorly designed and seldom maintained, he added.
鈥業f the Dhaka Metro Rail can run in a systematic manner, why can鈥檛 footbridges be properly maintained?鈥� he said, adding that this happens because the city authorities do not prioritise the well-being of ordinary people.
Salma Mahbub, general secretary of the Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus, which works for people with disabilities, said that none of the footbridges in the city is disability-friendly. She emphasised the need for zebra crossings to ensure safe pedestrian mobility.
The North City Corporation鈥檚 superintending engineer (civil) for the traffic engineering circle, Khondoker Mahbub Alam, on Wednesday said that the city authorities have put to tender the repairs of non-functional escalators of several footbridges in areas including Mirpur 1 and Mirpur 10.
He alleged that escalators often do not work because 鈥榩eople sometimes steal parts.鈥� The city authorities will soon deploy Ansar personnel at six footbridges equipped with escalators for the protection of the bridges.
The South City Corporation鈥檚 superintending engineer for the traffic engineering circle, Rajib Khadem, said that the authorities would repair the Paribagh footbridge. The footbridge under construction at New Market will soon be opened to pedestrians.
He added that repairs require the tender process, which takes time.
