Pedestrians still refusing to use Madina footbridges despite police arrests

Although the overhead footbridge at the Madina Zongo junction has been completed and opened for use, a lot of people in the area have ignored it and been crossing the road from unapproved spots, endangering their lives.

Police personnel, just last month, arrested about 100 pedestrians for failing to use the same footbridge.

Most of those arrested did not use the footbridge located at Zongo junction but instead jaywalked thereby risking their lives and that of other road users.

According to Ghana News Agency (GNA), many pedestrians are still avoiding the use of the footbridge.

Most pedestrians are complaining that the footbridge is too high and that they got scared when climbing it.

Ms Regina Gyeketey, a pedestrian, said although she used the footbridge every morning, its height put fear in her and she had to drink a sachet of water before climbing it.

She said despite the fear, she used it because it was safer than crossing the road using the speedways, noting that the motor accidents had become rampant on that stretch so she would not risk it.

The GNA found that it takes an average of three minutes to cross the footbridge from the base while a pedestrian could spend an average of five to 10 minutes waiting to cross the speedways at the risk of their lives.

In recent times, residents of Adentan and Madina had protested the six uncompleted footbridges on the stretch, complaining about the many lives lost crossing the speedways.

Police had earlier arrested 110 pedestrians for jaywalking on the stretch.