Some of the buses are turning around while many buses, cars, auto-rickshaws and rickshaws move back and forth haphazardly -- this has become a common scene at Jatrabari and Sayedabad Bridge intersection where risking lives hundreds of pedestrians cross these roads every day.

“I wish I had two more eyes on my back to check everywhere at the same time,” said Moniruzzaman, a ninth-grader of Jatrabari Ideal School and College, after crossing the Sayedabad Bridge road.

It worsens after sunset as there is no streetlight between Rajdhani Super Market and Jatrabari intersection. At night, pedestrians have to depend on the headlights of the vehicles, moving hastily.

Shahana Khatun, who lives in Brahmanchiran, faces trouble everyday in accompanying her daughter Sumaiya, a sixth-grader, to the same school.

“Vehicles move so chaotically that often my heart beats faster while crossing the road,” she said. “You're finished, if you remain absent-minded even for a second.”

Once it used to be a two-way road but after the construction of the Hanif flyover the road at some points from Rajdhani Super Market to Jatrabari got divided into three parts. Now it is difficult for the passers-by to know for sure which lanes are vacant, said locals.

Also, after the flyover's construction, the adjacent footpaths became unusable since the commuters now wait in the middle of the road next to the pillars of the flyover to get on the buses, they added. Moreover, the pillars shortened the pedestrians' view.

“It's quite difficult to spot vehicles in advance…,” said Saymum Hassan, a private university student.

Earlier, there used to be an underpass near Sayedabad Bridge and a foot-over bridge at the Jatrabari intersection but those were demolished for the construction of the flyover.

City and long-route buses move haphazardly under Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover at Sayedabad Bridge intersection, posing risk to pedestrians. Photo: Prabir Das

Kulsum Aktar, a housewife, had to run across the Jatrabari intersection with a two-year-old child on her lap to catch a Demra-bound Leguna (locally made passenger vehicle).

“Once it was lot easier to cross the Chourasta [Jatrabari intersection] using the foot-over bridge, now it has not only become difficult but also dangerous,” panting, she told this correspondent.

Around 20-25 traffic police officers carry out duties in Jatrabari while four to five in Sayedabad Bridge area in each shift.

Admitting that people cross the road amid risk, Tariqul Islam, a traffic inspector (TI) at Jatrabari intersection, said if the road engineering was done in a planned way, such chaotic situation might not have arisen.

TI of Sayedabad Mustafizur Rahman emphasised fencing and zebra crossing to minimise the risk factor.

“Yes, due to darkness, it is difficult for us to discharge duties. It also creates problems for pedestrians,” he said, adding, minor accidents and criminal activities at times take place for not having street lights in the area.

Contacted, Mahtab Uddin, executive engineer of Electrical Department under Dhaka South City Corporation, said it will take one to two months to set up the lights. “Those will be different because of the flyover. Lights of different watts ranging from 40 to 80 will be installed on 20-feet high poles,” he said.