Naturally, I have a soft spot for pedestrians crossing the road. Once I sight same and the surrounding conditions permits, I shall stop for them to cross.
This has been the case most mornings on my way to work in Accra at the Achimota under bridge. Conditions permitting, I stop for pedestrians to cross to both sides. Consequently, I have always wondered why the Department of Urban Roads (DUR) and by extension, the Ghana Highways Authority (GHA) made no provisions for pedestrians to access both sides of the road safely.
It was not till last Friday that I saw a Achimota School girl in uniform climbing a stair case attached to the under bridge, meaning, provisions had been made, but pedestrians have blatantly refused to access same.
They have rather opted to cross the road at their own peril and inconvenience motorists in the process, reminiscent of developments on the Madina Adenta Stretch some few months back.
The irony is, Police personnel and or Traffic wardens are stationed at the under bridge to ensure sanity and compliance. The aforesaid personnel sometimes stop vehicles to enable pedestrians cross to either side.
I am tempted to believe that most pedestrians and indeed the Police personnel detailed there are oblivious of the existence of this facility, this is to say, the stair cases attached to the under bridge for pedestrian use, thus their action and inaction.
Once it has been established that such a facility exist, the Police must of necessity change gear, this is to say, educate and sensitize pedestrians to access the stair case.
Again, they must desist from stopping motorists to make way for pedestrian to cross. This act of theirs, invariably and covertly, contributes to pedestrian indiscipline.
Trust someone is listening.
Sincerely yours,
Osei Kwabena
0243579741
The post Letter: Achimota Overhead Bridge and pedestrians crossing appeared first on Ghanaian Times.