Infrastructural Waste in Nigerian Urban Centres: Case of Pedestrian Bridges in Uyo Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Walking is the basic human instinct to move from one place to another. Even in modern cities with a well-developed traffic system, walking is still indispensable. A cross-over bridge is a facility that provides a safe and comfortable environment for all road users to move around the city without having to worry about traffic mishap. A pedestrian bridge is a type of bridge that is enclosed or covered between two sides of a road. They are constructed for the safety and convenience of pedestrians. They are aimed at decreasing traffic congestion, reducing vehicular air pollution, separating people from vehicular noise, easing traffic movement and reducing vehicular accidents in the city. They are constructed in dense traffic junctions for people in order to maintain traffic system. Unfortunately this infrastructure has become a major waste especially in terms of cost and usage; since majority of pedestrians have refused to use them but prefer to run across the high way, thereby defeating the purpose for which these bridges were constructed. Lots of accidents have thus occurred due to pedestrians crossing busy roads. About 65% of deaths have been recorded in most major cities in Nigeria and among them 35% are children.