Stuck between a foot-bridge and a hard place

To paraphrase Syed Mujtaba Ali, “A foot-bridge will cure pedestrians' woes, but what will cure the foot-bridge?”

In the capital's Farmgate, a newly-constructed foot-bridge has become a pedestrian nuisance even before it has formally opened. The pillars of the bridge have blocked the already narrow footpath in a way that passers-by have to squeeze “through” it instead of around it, and that too can require contortionist-level flexibility for some.

“If it doesn't help people walk through, what's the use of this? Such a waste of money!” said an irked senior citizen while talking to The Daily Star's video journalists about the foot-overpass. “It's just the work of unskilled people.”

Being one of Dhaka's central intra-city bus hubs, Farmgate sees heavy foot-traffic on a daily basis, many of who need to cross the road. Particularly on the Ananda Cinema Hall side, the next over-bridge is at Tejturi Bazar and is not wide enough to accommodate the traffic pressure.

The back-story of this over-bridge, adjacent to the Ananda Cinema Hall on one side and the Tejgaon Government Girl's High School on the other, is a classic tale of administrative lethargy and poor planning.

A concrete foot-bridge on this spot was closed by metal bars at entrance and a sign saying “Risky over-bridge, do not cross” by authorities on July 18, 2014 after a study team of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) termed it risky for use. It remained in that state for the better part of a year, before demolition work on it began on April 17, 2015. Work on constructing the new steel bridge was completed only recently, meaning it took a little under four years for the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) to replace the old foot-bridge. And that too not without causing a literal roadblock for people.

Asked about it yesterday, Md Arifur Rahman, superintendent engineer of DNCC's Traffic Engineering Circle, the body in charge of constructing the bridge, took a defensive stance. “In an unplanned city, it becomes difficult to execute all plans,” he said. “I visited the spot today,” he “assured” this correspondent. “The footpath is too small, and it has become congested. But we will make it easier [for people to pass.] It is still under construction; we will ramp the footpath in that area and facilitate some service.” He said they are “trying” to see what can be done, and rather strangely, repeatedly asked this correspondent for suggestions to improve the situation.

However, Architect Iqbal Habib, joint secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), strongly disagreed over the explanation when asked. “A foot-bridge is for pedestrians. If it does not help them, then it has served no purpose other than financially benefitting its contractor.” Asked if there is any alternative to make up for narrow footpath spaces, he said, “Of course there are. When we build elevated expressways and MRTs, we do not hesitate to acquire adjacent land as required. Why can't they do it for the sake of pedestrians?”

He also said design options are definitely available, what's lacking is the intention. “Last year, the DNCC did a competition with the Institute of Architects among architects and planners on parts of Satmasjid Road and Mirpur Road, and if you see the innovative designs submitted there, you will see that it's not true that it cannot be done. But they (administrators) do not have the mindset and political will to do so.”

The saddest part is that the Farmgate foot-bridge is not an anomaly; it is just the newest example in a long line of over-bridges suffocating footpaths. After a video on the foot-bridge was shared on The Daily Star's social media platform, many pointed out other footpaths -- all over the city -- that are suffering from the same problem. With jaywalking becoming a serious traffic problem and road accidents on the rise in the capital, when will it be too late to take a sincere look at pedestrians' safety?