The Times report of yesterday, May 28, has revealed that the six footbridges constructed on the Madina-Adenta highway have virtually become white elephants.
The footbridges cannot be accessed by the public because only the middle beams have been erected, without the supporting structures for the people to climb up.
Traders and pedestrians are, thus, compelled to cross the highway at unauthorised places, at the peril of their lives, as they risk being knocked down by speeding vehicles.
Accidents have far-reaching consequences on the nation, especially in situations where they result in fatalities.
Many drivers exhibit a lot of recklessness on the roads, leading to road crashes.
The situation is unpardonable when it results in the deaths of pedestrians.
According to statistics, the Greater Accra Region alone recorded 995 road accidents with 71 deaths, in the first two months of this year, representing 52 per cent of the total number of 1,904 accident cases recorded nationwide.
Of the total number of accidents recorded in those two months, 166 of them involved pedestrian knockdowns, forming 52 per cent of the 314 cases nationwide.
This situation is due to the inability of the authorities to guarantee the safety of pedestrians by providing properly designated walkways and pedestrian crossings.
People virtually compete with vehicles for the right of way, resulting in knockdowns.
One sure way of tackling this problem of pedestrian knockdowns, therefore, is the construction of footbridges across the roads.
But of what use are the footbridges, if the people cannot access them because the structures to climb to the top have not been provided?
This act of negligence by the authorities has led to loss of countless lives at Madina.
The Times calls for an investigation into why these footbridges remained uncompleted for years, and those responsible for such gross dereliction of duty, brought to book.
The nation should not countenance a situation where huge sums of money are expended in providing facilities which the people cannot utilise, owing to official negligence.
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