Help! Lagos pedestrian
bridges in precarious states
By Ngozi Konyebagu (Mrs.), 11 Ago
Palace way, Okota.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
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•Fashola
Photo: Sun News Publishing |
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Majority of the pedestrian bridges in Lagos have exceeded
their life spans and it is rather sad that as usual, a disaster
is being awaited before steps are taken to correct these anomalies.
A situation where it is no longer safe to climb our foot-bridges
due to their depleted state requires government’s urgent
attention. Government has a critical role to play in ensuring
the safety of human lives on our roads and therepair or replacement
of most of these bridges should commence withoutdelay as delay
has obviously become dangerous.
In the past three months, I have been opportuned to use about
five bridges located in various parts of Lagos and the experience
was quitetraumatic for me. These bridges include the Cele
footbridge along the Apapa/Oshodi Expressway, the Onipanu
bridge along Ikorodu Road, the Ojota bridge and the Fadeyi
bridge. Most of these bridges are daily neglected by pedestrians
who understandably believe it is far safer to cross the expressway
than risking their lives on such lurking dangers.
At Ojota, I had noticed that only two pedestrians were on
the bridge but because of my resolve to always be safety conscious,
I opted for the bridge which ended up being my greatest undoing.
As soon as I stepped onto the bridge, I immediately understood
why only the few bold ones were using the bridge. Midway,
I almost turned back but I knew the journey back would equally
be as scary as that of finishing the race.
I desperately clung to the side rails while muttering some
listless prayer lines. I was indeed a spectacle for the beggars
at the foot of the bridge who turned me to a laughing stock.
I eventually got to the end of the bridge and broke out in
sweat and right there and then, I promised not to take such
a risk again (at least till necessary repair work is carried
out on the bridge). It is the same story all over Lagos.
These pedestrian bridges vibrate so much that it would take
less than a discerning mind to know that they could cave in
under the slightest pressure. Most of our leaders do not make
use of these bridges (of course they donâ’ need
to) hence the plight of those who use them daily may not be
understood. There is noticeable increase in the number of
road accidents these days especially where we have pedestrian
bridges because of the increase in the number of those who
run across our expressways daily due to the people’s
trepidation towards such bridges.
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