Darkness under the lampposts on the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover in Dhaka has prevailed for three years as the authorities have failed to repair the lights, leading to a rise in nighttime crimes and accidents.
People now try to avoid the flyover after sunset due to a lack of visibility. Most parts of the largest flyover in the city become eerily dark at night, with low visibility in some parts where there is light from the buildings next to the structure, reports bdnews24.com.
Inaugurated on Oct 26, 2017, the flyover has 15 ramps to access it at Satrasta, Hotel Sonargaon, Mogbazar, Ramna, Banglamotor, Malibagh, Rajarbagh Police Lines and Shantinagar.
Constructed by the Local Government Engineering Department, the Moghbazar to Hotel Sonargaon part of the flyover falls under the jurisdiction of the Dhaka North City Corporation while the rest of it falls under the Dhaka South City Corporation’s authority.
Chances of accidents are high on flyovers especially when it is dark, said Kazi Md Saifun Newaz, assistant professor at the Accident Research Institute of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
“It definitely creates a problem when a flyover is dark or dimly lit. The road won’t be visible clearly and the drivers would need to depend only on the headlights. And some vehicles have weak headlights that can lead to confusion. As the Mogbazar-Mouchak flyover has multiple loops, it becomes riskier (than others).”
He could not say how many accidents have occurred on the flyover due to the low visibility, but insisted that ‘a large number’ of the accidents in the city occurs on the flyovers.
Not many vehicles travel on the flyover at night due to the darkness, said Zahirul Haque, a security officer of Rashmono Clinic in Mogbazar.
“No one wants to take the flyover at night as there’s no light. There’s a chance of getting mugged or robbed and facing an accident. Most of the vehicles run below the flyover creating a traffic jam.”
Though he commutes by the flyover at daytime, he never opts to use it at night, said Ariful Islam, working in a private company. He commutes daily from his home in Goran to Karwan Bazar on a motorbike.
“The flyover feels spooky at night. Also, there’s a high chance of facing an accident or getting mugged.”
