Pedestrians Risk Life and Limb on City Roads
Crossing the road in the Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek is a risky affair because of the heavy and often chaotic traffic.
Pedestrians Risk Life and Limb on City Roads
Crossing the road in the Kyrgyzstan capital Bishkek is a risky affair because of the heavy and often chaotic traffic.
Reporter Rita Borbukeeva discovered that eight of the 12 underground crossings built in the city in Soviet times now stand derelict and closed for use. Pedestrians are left to skip in and out of the moving traffic, or make a dash for it.
Traffic policeman Talant Alimkulov says numerous accidents involve people crossing the road at random.
The municipal authorities in Bishkek cannot afford to refurbish the underground passages themselves, and are instead planning to rent them out as they offer space for small shops and stalls.
