The police service has warned that it will begin to take action against pedestrians who continue to cross at unauthorized places on the Madina-Adentan Highway.
Despite the completion of three out of the six footbridges on the Highway, some recalcitrant pedestrians have abandoned the bridges- a situation that is posing a serious danger to themselves and other motorists.
Last week, Citi News’ Ann-Shiley Ziwu who was on the stretch and reported that the pedestrians some of whom protested last November over the non-completion of the footbridges and the alarming fatalities recorded on the road are now engaging in such acts of carelessness at their own peril.
In a Citi News interview, Public Relations Officer at the Police Headquarters, ASP Simon Tenkuu said the pedestrians who have decided to engage in the jaywalking risk getting arrested because, the practice is a violation of the law.
“We also want to caution commuters and passengers to always go to appropriate places to board vehicles because it is for their own safety. Another thing we realized was that the newly constructed footbridge was not patronized. So we want to urge the people around that area to use the footbridge because it is for their safety. In certain operations, we do arrest pedestrians for jaywalking, it is in the law; that is why I am cautioning most of them to adhere to basic safety rules. They should make sure to cross the road at the appropriate places, do their self-check and shun from jaywalking.”
Why abandon the footbridge?
A pedestrian who crossed the road at an unapproved section of the road told Citi News that; “I was in the rush to go and get something that is why I crossed the road without using the footbridge. But I made sure I used the traffic light which had turned red at the time. I know it is dangerous but I don’t do that all the time. Sometimes, I even encourage people to use the footbridge.”
“There have been complaints that the footbridge is too long. I was able to see clearly on the road so that is why I decided to use the road other than the footbridge because I was in a hurry. But if anything happens to me, I should be blamed.” another person stated.
But there are others who maintained that this is a risk they cannot afford to take.
“It is dangerous to use the road so I always use the footbridge to ensure my safety so no vehicle knocks me down.”
“Anything can happen to you whilst crossing the road so I think it is better to use the footbridge. Ghanaians will complain about the nature of the footbridge but if they will walk on it and prevent accidents, it is better”, one other resident said.
While this troubling situation lingers on, resident engineer, Samsudin Issah has made some suggestions that would force pedestrians to abide by the laws.
“We intend to fence the whole median to make it inaccessible for those who use the road. We will demarcate zebra crossings to allow pedestrians to cross.”
By: Citi News
