Dayaganj in need of pedestrian crossing

During the rush hour, the capital's Dayaganj intersection turns into a huge mess: people walk randomly to cross the road and vehicles keep streaming from all four directions until there is a snarl-up.

Traffic police then sweat to clear the chaos, and pedestrians often meet with mishaps and get injured.

Local residents said this was almost an everyday scenario because there was no foot-bridge, under-pass or zebra crossing at the busy intersection. Sometimes the road mishap turns fatal, they added.

Local medicine shop owner Bipul Chandra Roy said, “In May an elderly woman was killed in an accident at the point while crossing the road.”

People getting injured while crossing the road is a regular incident, he said, underscoring how badly the intersection is in need of a foot-bridge for safe movement of pedestrians.

Since the inauguration of Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover, the traffic volume has almost tripled, according to locals, making the situation worse.

A resident of Dayaganj Bazar area, Hasina, said, “I did not want to get my son admitted to City International School, though it is a good school in our area, only due to the fear of crossing the busy intersection.”

It is really very difficult for women and children as the vehicles move recklessly, she added.

A few days ago, a resident of neighbouring Gendaria, Shariful Islam, came to visit a diagnostic centre in Dayaganj area. He had to wait 10 minutes to cross the intersection  safely.

Another Gendaria resident, Nazmul Islam, said the possibility of accidents increased at night when a good number of trucks driven recklessly crossed the intersection.

Shafiqul Islam, owner of Medicine Centre of Ibn Sina at Dayaganj, said a pedestrian crossing would be more suitable as people were reluctant to use foot-bridges.

Traffic police constable Sahadat said he had to handle a huge volume of traffic during the rush hour.

As many jaywalk to cross the road stopping the vehicular movement, the traffic jam lingers, he said.

Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon said there was a plan to construct nine foot-bridges in DSCC area.

“We will conduct a feasibility study at the intersection to know about the suitability of a foot-bridge there. If we get positive results, we will set up one there,” he said.