KARACHI, Nov 24: City Nazim Mustafa Kamal has directed the city government’s department concerned to ensure speedy construction of an overhead pedestrian bridge near FTC (Finance and Trade Centre) Flyover to avoid accidents involving pedestrians.

Taking prompt notice of a news item published in newspapers that accidents involving pedestrians have become a matter of routine near FTC Flyover owing to non-availability of a pedestrian bridge and rash and negligent driving on the part of drivers, the nazim warned the officials concerned to construct a pedestrian bridge near FTC without any further delay.

EDO (transport and communication) Mohammad Ather has warned the contractor to initiate the work on pedestrian bridge within a week, or else serious action would be taken against him.

He has also written a letter to DIG Traffic requesting him to depute two traffic constables at the FTC Flyover’s zebra crossing to ensure that motorists approaching the FTC from either side of the busiest Sharea Faisal are forced to stop their vehicles at zebra crossing so that pedestrians could cross the road without any difficulty.

The EDO regretted that although zebra crossings are made to facilitate pedestrians in crossing roads throughout the world, most of drivers in the city either stop their vehicles right on the zebra crossings or did not bother to bring their vehicles to a grinding halt at the zebra crossings, resulting mishaps involving pedestrians.

Since the people working in the FTC’s building which houses a number of trade and financial institutions face immense difficulties in crossing the busy Sharea Faisal, they off and on stage protest demonstration near the FTC to voice their anger over the inordinate delay in constructing a pedestrian bridge.

NAGAN CHOWRANGI: DCO Fazalur Rehman said that it was shocking to note that construction of the 5000-Road (from Nagan traffic intersection to Surjani roundabout) had been initiated without providing alternative route to the motorists.