Pedestrians’ Woes

With the construction of the overhead-bridges on the capital’s Kanti Highway, pedestrians do not have to put their life at stake while crossing the busy roads, at least in that particular route. Motorists also do not have to stop their vehicles frequently to allow the pedestrians to cross the busy road. As a result, the Shahid Gate-Jamal portion of the Kanti Highway, compared to other parts of the capital city, is now free from the frequent traffic jams. But these overhead-bridges seem to be lacking cleanliness and the pedestrians are hesitating to use them, especially when it is raining. Due to some construction defects, the rain water forms puddles on the overhead bridges as well as on the stairs. As such, the pedestrians are finding it difficult to use these bridges when they need them most. So, it is natural for the pedestrians to cross the road without using the safe overhead-bridges during the rainy days. This, in turn, could lead to some nasty and unwanted accidents, especially when both pedestrians and drivers are in a hurry, to escape from the rains.

It is high time the concerned authorities initiate measures to keep the overhead-bridges clean and free from puddles so that the pedestrians can use them all the time.

Tanka Bahadur Mahat
Maitidevi,Kathmandu June 10, 1975