Ctg city in dire need of foot overbridges
With the rise in numbers of vehicles, markets, offices and residents, Chittagong city is in need of at least seven foot overbridges at six busy intersections and in front of a school.
The six intersections are Agrabad Badamtoli, Dewanhat, Tigerpass, GEC Mor, Colonelhat and Sholosohor Number 2 Gate and the educational institution is Bangladesh Women Association (BAWA) School in Dampara.
Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) and local residents stated that the seven would facilitate smooth movement of pedestrians and reduce the city's intolerable traffic jam.
A garment worker, Bappa Das, emphasised the need of a foot overbridge at the Agrabad intersection, stating a recent incident where he narrowly escaped hitting a car.
At present the city has seven foot overbridges. Three are in New Market, Reazuddin Bazar and Fakir Haat areas, set up by CCC and CDA.
Bangladesh Export Processing Zone Authority constructed two foot overbridges before Chittagong Export Processing Zone for the smooth passage of garment workers in the area.
The remaining two, at the South and East Port Colony Gate, were constructed by Chittagong Port Authority.
CDA Deputy Chief Town Planner Sarwar Uddin Ahmad said they did not have any foot overbridge in their master plan as they envisaged constructing flyovers over busy thoroughfares.
The flyovers would have zebra crossings underneath, rendering foot overbridges useless. “But CCC could construct foot overbridges if they wanted to,” he added.
In 2008, CCC launched an initiative to construct the seven and invited interested private firms for voluntarily assistance. “As we did not get any response, we shelved our plan,” said CCC Chief City Planner Rezaul Karim.
However, CCC plans to construct the seven this year. “We have administrative and financial limitations and welcome financial support,” he said.
Suvhash Chandra Barua, secretary of Forum for Planned Chittagong, a congregation of architects, said, “Flyovers are used for vehicles, not for pedestrian movement.”
However, zebra crossings are also necessary for senior citizens and people with physical disabilities, who find it hard to climb stairs, he said.
CDA Chairman Abdus Salam said, “People do not use the existing foot overbridges, so why construct new ones?”
“We will think about constructing footpaths or alternatives for the smooth passage of pedestrians,” he added.
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