Demand for pedestrian bridges in Sharjah
There have been renewed calls in the media for more pedestrian overpasses to be constructed in the UAE, following the death of two pedestrians in Sharjah. Two Ethiopian women were killed and another and another injured in an accident in front of Ansar Mall, Al Ittihad Road, in the Emirate, on Friday night. The road […]
There have been renewed calls in the media for more pedestrian overpasses to be constructed in the UAE, following the death of two pedestrians in Sharjah.
Two Ethiopian women were killed and another and another injured in an accident in front of Ansar Mall, Al Ittihad Road, in the Emirate, on Friday night. The road is a known accident blackspot.
In 2008 Sharjah Municipality released plans to conduct AED60 million in maintenance works on the Emirate’s roads.
In 2009 Sharjah the AED7 million overpass at the Sharjah Centre; a significant step to improve safety for visitors, according to centre director Jean Pierre Nammour. It stretches 48m across Al Nahda road.
However, only limited progress has been made since.
A number of residents in Dubai reported to The Big Project that they use stations along Dubai Metro as an overpass to cross the busy Sheikh Zayed Road, an arterial route through the Emirate, and other roads.
In total, the Emirate has plans to build more than 100 bridges by 2012, 47 of which will be metro stations.
In Abu Dhabi, nine new air-conditioned bridges will be opened by September this year.
Sharjah Municipality refused to comment on the situation and planned development of pedestrian overpasses.
Sharjah Police, initiated the ‘Road Safety- It’s no Accident’ campaign, to reduce the number of deaths on the Emirates roads, particularly targeting drivers under the age of 30.
“The campaign will enforce road safety and awareness on the dangers of road accidents resulting from speeding, the use of mobile telephones, and not wearing a seatbelt emphasising that last year many people lost their lives on the roads of the UAE, with the majority of the victims aged 30 or below,” said Lieutenant Colonel Aref Mohammad Al Shamsi, chief of the department of traffic and licensing.
“We hope to increase awareness about the dangers associated with such incidents and what results from them such as fatalities, injuries, material loss and loss of time,” he added.
No such plans have been publicised to promote the safety of pedestrians.
