Lack of pedestrian crossings puts Al Nahda at risk

Just a day after the tragic news of how a British national and his seven-year-old son were killed when a car crashed into them while crossing the streets of Al Nahda, Emirates24|7 decided to check the area around the Dubai-Sharjah border.

The 2-km stretch in Dubai’s Al Nahda 1 that runs parallel to the Sharjah border, near Sahara Centre, does not have any pedestrian crossing until the NMC traffic signal.

There’s one more a few minutes away at the main junction joining Amman Street with Baghdad Street.

The pedestrian community insisted that this is a place where an “accident is waiting to happen”.

The Al Nahda area is popular because it sits on the Sharjah-Dubai border and many pedestrians cross over to save on the Dh20 cross-emirate cab fare, and to cut short their daily commute.

“So many people cross over from Sharjah to Dubai, vice-versa, and because there is no marked area to cross they just run across,” explained Nisha, an Al Nahda1 resident.

“It’s extremely scary watching adults drag their kids along with them.”

Lyn, a Filipina who lives in Sharjah and works in Dubai, makes the cross-over for work.

“In this heat, it is tough to walk all the way to the NMC traffic signal to cross over, and then all the way back. Although I know it is dangerous, I do it because there is no other option,” she reasoned.

The problem will persist unless more zebra crossings, or an over-bridge, are marked on this stretch.

There’s a zebra crossing on 204th Road, next to Zulkeha hospital, which pedestrians believe has helped them a lot.

However, some complain that merely putting up zebra crossings won’t solve the problem. The authorities must educate the public about their right on the road.

“Often motorists drive past even when they see pedestrians waiting at the crossing. If the motorists wants to stop they will, or else, we will just have to wait in the hot sun,” complained a Pakistani national.

Just across the border, Sharjah also witnesses similar issues.

A pedestrian foot over bridge in front of Sahara Centre solves much of the problem, but Ansar Mall poses similar safety concerns, with plans of building a pedestrian over-bridge still to be finalised.
 

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