GUWAHATI, Aug 11 � Scores of people living parallel to the arterial GS Road are enduring great difficulties due to the absence of foot overbridges. From Ulubari to Ganeshguri there is not a single overpass for pedestrians even though the long stretch of road has seen a manifold increase in traffic volume.
It is actually something of a miracle that no major accident involving pedestrians has taken place on the road that has no dedicated crossing for the humble pedestrian. �It seems the GS Road at present is only meant for motorists,� said Dr P Deka, a former professor of Gauhati Medical College Hospital.
The pedestrians having to cross from one side of the road to the other find it a Herculean task as there is no control over the movement of vehicles. It is a decision entirely left to the pedestrian when and how one can manage to reach the median and then scramble across the other half of the road amid a continuing flow of vehicles.
Every day for children and the elderly it is an ordeal to endure, which also puts them in harm�s way. �We senior citizens find it difficult to cross the GS Road where the number of vehicles has gone up in recent times. The situation turns more dangerous during the night when visibility drops,� said Mitali Dhar, a resident of Chilarai Nagar, Bhangagarh.
During school days, the difficulties faced by young boys and girls are no less evident. Laden with schoolbags they have been seen to make a dash to the other side of the road even as traffic continues to flow relentlessly. There is hardly any police presence to come to the aid of the schoolchildren.
In and around Christian Basti, people have put up with similar situations for long. �I wonder why the local MLA has failed to address the issue that concerns tax-paying citizens,� remarked Nripen Chandra Das.
Demands for foot overbridges have also been made by people who have endured difficulties in Fancy Bazar and GNB Road. The volume of traffic has soared, which has put pedestrians in a perilous situation.
