Pedestrians' never ending woes
 

by Afreeha Jawad

[email protected]

This week too Observer Eye rests on the pavement where impending dangers are even more than what meets anyone's eye. Hundreds of thousands -all office workers that go past this cracked wall down D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha, just a little ahead of the Fort railway station could count on their stars or seek providential help to avert a crisis that will much sooner than later result in life's termination in the most tragic manner.

The trains' vibrations - its constant thud and thunder as it keeps steaming in and out of the station is not without all that kind of restless impact on the wall itself. In fact a slight tremor is visible in such instances and it will not take too long for the wall not to withstand such onslaught which hopefully not, will be the concrete turf under which some innocent lives surely would lie restless indeed.

Despite this wall's despicable state highlighted on an earlier occasion, the response has been even below zero level - so to say. That perhaps is how authorities concerned display their concern over public good - not so when it comes to private enterprise.

By the way, mention I must, should some misfortune befall an innocent party, no amount of compensation nor wreaths would suffice to compensate the irreparable loss.

Moving away from D. R. Wijewardene Mawatha to Lotus Road-on this entire road stretch stands giant size barricades. What purpose it serves out there on the pavement baffles my understanding. Come evening, the pedestrian flood that engulfs this place - good God you've only got to see it... seeing is believing-its literally one person pounding over the other ... what with those high heeled women even doing the marathon-- at times stumbling on all what is ill paved compelling others to bear the weight of their biological bulk. In this unceasing rush, should there be a miscalculation, one is sure to parachute on to the rail track adjacent to this road which to this day bears no wall.

Now, let's get on to Darley Road. For months, drainage pipes have been neatly stacked all along. Here too it's the pedestrians that suffer most playing dribble-this time with vehicles and drainage pipes.

This then adds to the long list of pedestrians' woes in addition to retrospective press highlights of three-wheelers, trail bikes and cyclists that trespass pavements right under the nose of guess-who? - ha ! ha ! haaa!! the traffic cops themselves!