Photo shows a newly built footover bridge in front of the gate of New Government Degree College in Rajshahi city- FE Photo RAJSHAHI, Dec 04: Six footover bridges of striking look built by the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) authorities are not coming to exact use of the townspeople even after two and a half months of their inauguration.
The city corporation built the infrastructures at a cost of Tk507.2 million (Tk50.72 crore), behind whose construction locals find not exact necessities.
Local sources said pedestrians are mostly seeing no utilities of the footover bridges for their improper placement.
On the other hand, experts see sufficient reasons behind constructing the footover bridges considering public interests.
However, the RCC authorities say they are working to get people used to using these footover bridges.
The footover bridges constructed in front of the gate of New Government Degree College, Laxmipur Mintu Chatter, Naodapara Bazar, Talaimari Mor, Vinodpur Mor and Agrani School and College were inaugurated on September 11 this year.
Apart from this, construction of the footover bridge in front of Manichtwar and Mission Girls School in the city is going on.
Under the integrated Urban Infrastructure Development Project, construction companies Masud Steel Design BD Limited and MSCL and MSDBL got the work orders for constructing the eight footbridges in the city at a cost of Tk507.2 million (Tk50.72 crore) in two packages.
Pedestrians said that it takes quite some time to climb the footover bridges. The stairs are also quite high, which is dangerous to use.
Apart from this, the tiles set at the front get extremely slippery when water or fog falls on them. So it is more comfortable to cross the road below than using this bridge.
Visiting almost all the footover bridges in the city, this correspondent found that pedestrians do not use any bridge all day long.
They mostly travel by using the roads finding them usually congestion-free.
Even if there is a traffic jam somewhere, pedestrians do not climb the bridge
because of risk and suffering.
On several occasions, stray dogs are found to take safe shelter on the bridges.
Often students climb the footover bridges and come down again without crossing the roads just for taking pictures or recording videos.
Several students of New Government Degree College said as there is never much traffic on the road in front of the college, they consider it safe for them.
As a result, they crossed the road without using the bridge as there was no danger of accident. However, they sometimes climb the footover bridge to
take pictures and make videos.
Umme Habiba, who had come for treatment from Natore, was crossing the road divider without using the footover bridge at the city's Laxmipur junction. When asked about taking risks on the road, she said, "I'm a sick person. How to climb this ladder given the tiles? It is slippery due to water and fog. Now if I get injured again when I go to the doctor, it will be even more frustrating. So I think it is better to cross the road with a little difficulty."
Regarding the footover bridge in front of Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, locals said, "It would have been better if this bridge had been built at Talaimari four-way junction. But it was not done. Pedestrians need footover bridges to cross major roads. But it was built straightly without a crossing. As a result, the footover bridge is not meeting the needs of the people of the area."
RCC Chief Executive Officer Dr ABM Sharif Uddin claiming that the footover bridges have been constructed at the right place said, "People in Dhaka city do not use footover bridges even in such heavy traffic.
They are made to reduce traffic congestion. We are working to get people used to using them. These are also required to be seen by those who do traffic control. And if there are any problems in the construction, they will be fixed by the engineering department."
In this regard, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET) head professor of urban and regional planning department MST Ilm Faridatul said, "It should be seen first whether the use of footover bridge was necessary in Rajshahi city. There was a mistake when these were proposed. Planning has been done according to their wishes. These bridges are needed at critical points. In that case, the point that has been selected, people will not use it, it is normal."
She also said, "There may be a need to build it in the future, but now there is no need.
Where we do not have problems, there is a need for early solutions? That is why people are not using them."
RCC Administrator and Rajshahi Divisional Commissioner Dr Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir said, "What is required to make the footover bridge suitable for use? Measures will be taken after verification. And the tiles that have been used in the lower part of the bridge have been followed by the previous design. They will be reformed as needed."
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