KARACHI, Feb 15: A spokesman for Shehri, citizens for a better environment, has said that the special ramp for the elderly and physically challenged people, especially those using wheelchairs built on the pedestrian bridge on Sharea Faisal is not up to international standard for the handicapped.

The spokesperson said long ramps for wheelchairs must have a maximum slope of 1:20, with 5-foot wide rest landings every 30 feet.

The CDGK-sponsored ramps are twice as steep (slope = 1:10) and have only one rest landing in a 19-foot rise, thus being totally unsuitable for wheelchairs users.

The Shehri representative said their organisation had pointed this out to the city government in written on November 24th 2005 and January 30th 2006 when the overhead pedestrian bridge at the Duty Free Shop near Baloch Colony was under construction. Unfortunately, the city government ignored the advice.

Other similar ramps (like the one near Urdu College on University Road) have been blocked with bollards to prevent motorcyclists (and consequently any strong and physically agile wheelchair user) from misusing the ramp/bridge.

The Sheri said there was another common public complaint that signal-free roads (recently inaugurated SITE to Jinnah Airport, other large sections of Sharea Faisal) cannot be crossed except at great risk to one’s life, especially by children and the elderly?

Overhead pedestrian bridges and other safe opportunities to cross roads, where traffic whizzes by at speeds in excess of 60kph, are inconveniently located half to one kilometre apart.