Despite footbridges, reliance on broken dividers raises risk of fatalities

Despite having footbridges on many major roads in Dhaka, pedestrians are increasingly risking their lives by crossing through broken road dividers instead of using designated crossings.

Damaged medians across several busy areas of the capital have created unsafe shortcuts for pedestrians and vehicles, fuelling traffic congestion.   

At New Market, a large footbridge stands above the busy Mirpur-Azimpur road. Yet beneath it, pedestrians continue to cross through gaps in broken road dividers, risking their lives.

Students, shoppers and office-goers are often seen squeezing through damaged sections of the divider instead of using the footbridge or zebra crossings at the road.

Similar scenes have been observed in several parts of the capital, including Nilkhet, Dhaka College, Rampura, Badda, Kuril Bishwaroad, Moghbazar and Tejgaon Satrasta.

A recent visit to several areas of the city found major road dividers in poor condition. In some places, steel panels were missing, while in others large gaps had formed, allowing pedestrians, motorcycles and even rickshaws to cross roads freely and often dangerously.

At New Market, private employee Shahin Mia admitted that convenience drives people to ignore footbridges.

"It takes time to climb the bridge. Crossing through the divider gap is quicker," he told The Business Standard.

Sharing the same view, a Dhaka College student said, "Everyone crosses this way, so we do too. If the dividers were intact, people would probably use designated crossings."

The uncontrolled movement of pedestrians and vehicles has also worsened traffic congestion in busy commercial areas. In New Market and Nilkhet, vehicles frequently stop in the middle of roads to pick up passengers, while rickshaws and vans use broken divider openings to move across lanes.

Drivers say the damaged dividers have made roads increasingly hazardous.

Shahidul, a driver of Thikana Paribahan, said pedestrians often appear suddenly through gaps in the divider, forcing drivers to brake hard.

"We are driving normally, then someone suddenly crosses the road. Sometimes vehicles behind us nearly crash because of sudden braking. But drivers end up getting blamed," he said.

In Rampura, despite a footbridge in front of the Bangladesh Television Bhaban, many pedestrians still cross the main road directly. Long stretches of damaged dividers from Rampura to Kuril Bishwaroad have also enabled motorcycles to travel on the wrong side of the road.

The same situation exists in Moghbazar and Tejgaon Satrasta, where pedestrians and even motorcycles frequently use broken divider sections to move across busy intersections.

Traffic police say uncontrolled crossing is slowing vehicle movement and increasing accident risks.

Mamun Mia, a traffic sergeant stationed at Badda Link Road, said intact dividers force pedestrians to use safer crossings.

"People are crossing roads wherever they want. This increases both traffic congestion and accident risks. If the dividers were intact, people would be forced to use footbridges," he said.

When contacted, Adil Muhammad Khan, urban planner and executive director of the Institute for Planning and Development, told TBS that stronger barriers and stricter enforcement are needed to improve road discipline in Dhaka.

He suggested replacing concrete walls with planned greenery and natural landscaping along road dividers to improve both pedestrian control and the urban environment.

Visiting places in the capital, many dividers damaged during the anti-discrimination student protests months ago still remain unrepaired, especially in areas under Dhaka North City Corporation, including Rampura, Badda, Uttara, Abdullahpur and Mirpur.

Dhaka North City Corporation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Muhammad Asaduzzaman said Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) medians and grill fencing are being installed gradually at important intersections and roads based on traffic priorities.

Dhaka South City Corporation CEO Md Zahirul Islam said busy areas are being prioritised for repairs, adding that authorities plan to build RCC medians instead of iron fencing to reduce theft and improve durability.