Pedestrians risk life and limb as criminals take over footbridges

Pedestrians are shunning footbridges in Nairobi, frightened by street families and pickpockets who have taken over the facilities.

The footbridges, constructed by the Government to reduce pedestrian accidents, are not being put to good use, with street families converting them into “homes” and resting places.

This has forced people to continue risking their lives by dashing across busy roads.

A survey by The Standard found some of the families have even bedding in their ‘homes’ under the footbridges.

Some of the footbridges that have been taken over include Landhies, Technical University, Wakulima Market (Muthurwa) and Jogoo Road, next to Burma Market.

On Landhies road, pedestrians have abandoned the footbridge which is now dirty with cartons that are used by the street families as “mattresses”.

It is also littered with all other manner of dirt and the air around it reeks of the pungent smell of urine.

Menacing youths are strategically placed on either sides of the wall, always ready to pounce on hapless pedestrians. Some of them are armed with metal bars and other crude weapons like knives which they use to threaten their victims.

A woman who hawks sweets at the footbridge said she has lost customers as many people have shunned the place.

1,340 deaths

“I used to get a profit of Sh200 but nowadays I can hardly sell a packet,” she said. “Many people no longer use the bridge.”

Muggers and pickpockets also have a field day at the footbridges especially at the Muthurwa footbridge.

A traffic police officer at Muthurwa round-about told The Standard he has witnessed several cases of mugging especially in the evening and when it rains. Most victims are pedestrians crossing from one side of the road to the other.The footbridge links the stage with Muthurwa market.

He said: “Very many people come and complain they have been mugged. We can do nothing because we concentrate on controlling traffic,” he said.

Police officers at Kamukunji Police Station said most cases reported at the station were muggings at the footbridge. “Most of those who come here (police station) report cases of mugging. Majority are people travelling from upcountry who try to cross over to other side to catch a connecting bus in town,” said a female officer.

The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), which has been investing in footbridges to reduce pedestrian accidents, said their takeover by the criminal gangs was diluting efforts  by the authority to reduce pedestrian deaths.

 

NTSA Chairman Lee Kinyanjui said the footbridges are important in reducing pedestrian deaths and warned that the gains made would turn useless if people shy away from using them.

Privatise bridges

He said: “We are aware of this report. It is unfortunate that after using a lot of money to construct the footbridges, thugs and criminal gangs have converted them for their own use; which is criminal. We aim at reducing cases of people being knocked down by speeding cars.”

Last year, pedestrians topped the list of road fatalities with 1,340 deaths followed by passengers at 642 deaths. Motorcyclists’s deaths stood at 391, while 268 drivers were also killed in the same period.

Nairobi topped the list of casualties with 561 reported fatalities followed by Nakuru at 156 deaths, Kiambu 113 and Kisumu 95 reported.

Mombasa had 90 deaths, Makueni and Machakos each had 82 casualties resulting from road accidents.

Kakamega, Bungoma and Kilifi had 77, 69 and 57 death respectively.

Kinyanjui said the authority was in talks with the Nairobi County government on plans of privatising the footbridges.

“We want to lease them (footbridges) to private companies, especially advertising companies. We will see to it that they light and clean the place. This will not take long,” he said.

However, Nairobi County Director of Communications Walter Mong’are said they were not aware of any takeover of footbridges by criminal gangs.

Mongare said on phone: “We are not aware there are criminal gangs in any footbridge. We however thank you for the information. We are sending our enforcement officers to clean up the place.”