ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has decided to construct three pedestrian bridges on Park Road to improve safety for students and pedestrians. The move comes after repeated complaints about accidents and the absence of safe crossings near universities and hostels along the busy road.
The newly revamped Park Road in Islamabad has become a safety concern for pedestrians, especially students from nearby universities such as Comsats, Iqra, Abasyn, and Park Turk School.
According to a newspaper report, despite the completion of the Rs2 billion road expansion project in January this year, which added two lanes and made it one of the fastest roads in the city, the absence of pedestrian bridges has made crossing extremely dangerous.
Students and residents say that every day, thousands of students risk their lives crossing the busy road between Hostel City — a large student residential area housing nearly 20,000 to 24,000 students — and nearby educational institutions.
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“Hostel City is surrounded by eight to nine major universities. Every day, students cross Park Road to reach their campuses without any pedestrian bridge, underpass, or safety measures,” said a student. “Several accidents have already occurred this year. Recently, a female student was seriously injured after being hit by a speeding vehicle.”
A faculty member of Comsats University said the situation is alarming as the university has around 12,000 students, many of whom live in Hostel City. “A pedestrian bridge is urgently needed to prevent a major accident,” he said, adding that temporary traffic signals should be installed if bridge construction is delayed.
Another student criticised the Capital Development Authority (CDA) for not including pedestrian bridges in the initial project. “The 7.4-kilometre road was completed earlier this year, but there’s still no pedestrian bridge except one near Rawal Town. Why is CDA waiting for a tragedy?” he questioned.
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When contacted, a CDA official said the authority was aware of the issue and had plans to install three pedestrian bridges along Park Road, including one near Comsats University.
“We are cognizant of this problem and will install the bridges soon,” the official said. Another CDA officer added that six pedestrian bridges were planned across the city — three on Park Road, one on Srinagar Highway, and one on Islamabad Expressway near Kak Pul.
