KARACHI, May 10: The Shah Faisal Town’s nazim has urged railway authorities to construct underpasses underneath its main railway tracks, between the Cantonment and Landhi stations, to help provide safe passages to pedestrians, often crushed to death by trains while crossing them.

“Even the Shah Faisal Town administration and the city government can contribute their share to constructing the underpasses, which would help save the lives of citizens in general and that of the Shah Faisal, Jamshed, Landhi and Saddar towns in particular,” the Town Nazim, Mushtaq Ahmed, told Dawn.

It may be mentioned that the railway authorities plan constructing a wall on either sides of the railway tracks, so that high-speed trains could be introduced, and so that the wall could act as a safeguard for pedestrians.

Commenting on the said plan of the railways, Mr Ahmed said though railways authorities opined that pedestrians would then avoid crossing tracks, the possibilities of them making holes in the walls could not be ruled out; hence, increasing the number of accidents.

Supporting his contention, he said the railway tracks between the Cantonment and Landhi stations run along the Sharea Faisal, with residents of the Shah Faisal and other towns crossing them at every two or three furlongs after getting off buses.

The nazim added that since the tracks run in a zigzag manner, the protective wall too would have similar bends and turns, definitely blocking the vision of pedestrians attempting to cross the tracks.

Besides, citizens residing along the tracks have developed the habit of dumping their garbage there, who would then be disposing of their waste along the walls as well. This would mean no respite for the Shah Faisal Town, which is already lifting tonnes of garbage everyday, he said.

“In fact, the town’s residents and I myself agree that the proposed protective wall must be constructed along the tracks for running speedy trains, but at the same time at least four feet wide underpasses should also be constructed to provide safe passage to pedestrians,” Mr Mushtaq Ahmed said.

He added that since the tracks were already three to four feet above ground-level, the actual work of the underpasses would hardly be three feet below ground level.

He said he had written letters to the governor and federal railways minister to draw their attention towards the issue.

The nazim hoped the railways authorities would discuss the proposal of constructing underpasses underneath the tracks with the Sindh and city governments before embarking upon its plan of constructing the protective wall.