KARACHI: Citizens, particularly university students, have been facing immense trouble in crossing the main University Road now when all pedestrian bridges along it have been removed by the authorities working on the Red Line project.

The bridges had to be removed to construct the infrastructure for the BRT (bus rapid transit) system.

The situation has been causing a lot of trouble especially to female students of higher education institutions, located along the University Road since the footbridges were dismantled about three months ago.

In the absence of the bridges, the people attempting to cross the road have to put their lives at risk as the road remains packed with speeding vehicles.

Many accidents have taken place along the road. The victims included female students of the University of Karachi and the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology.

The issue has also led to increased travel cost for many students as they now have to take a cab or some other public transport means to get to the other side of the road, only to avoid getting hit by a vehicle.

This has left people feeling helpless and frustrated. Narrating her ordeal to Dawn, a KU student said: “It used to be a fast and cheap travel for me to get to the university. But ever since the pedestrian bridge there has been removed, it has become dangerous to cross the road, especially during morning rush hours when everyone is found rushing to work or an educational institution.”

“Now my brother and I have no choice but to take a rickshaw every day and our monthly travel cost has jumped from Rs1,200 to around Rs5,000,” she lamented.

Another student said: “It’s a major problem for both students and teachers. Until a few months back, we used to cross the road easily and reach the university directly but now we have to risk our lives crossing the main road struggling against fast-moving vehicles. Several accidents have already happened. On top of that, this issue adds both cost and time. For students already confronting traffic jams, it’s a serious issue that also affects their academic performance.”

Another student explained that the pedestrian bridge had some steps broken due to which a female student had slipped and suffered injuries. “I was concerned about its repair but suddenly the bridge was removed,” she said.

A resident of Gulistan-i-Jauhar said people are facing inconvenience due to the removal of the pedestrian bridges. “There’s no footbridge now along the .road and we have to cross the road making hectic efforts to avoid mishaps as hazardous construction material and ditches are also there,” he said.

It may be mentioned here that work on the Red Line BRT has been underway along the University Road since 2022 and the construction, being carried out at a snail’s pace, has led to multiple issues such as air pollution, traffic congestion and hazardous living conditions, besides tattered roads and pathways.

Published in Dawn, June 23rd, 2025