Baghdad residents protest lack of pedestrian bridge on Al-Batal Street

BAGHDAD — Residents of Rabi’ and Al-Zawra in Baghdad’s Zafaraniya district staged a protest Saturday on Al-Batal Street, calling for urgent safety measures including a pedestrian bridge, designated crossings, and a traffic turnaround.

Protesters said the road, a major thoroughfare separating the two neighborhoods, poses a danger to schoolchildren and pedestrians.

“We appeal to the prime minister and the concerned authorities regarding these large barriers. There are many schools here, and with classes resuming, traffic accidents will occur. Cars drive at high speed on this newly rehabilitated street, and there is no safe place for pedestrians to cross,” said local resident Mohammed Qasim.

Another resident, Ismail Mutlak, said: “Al-Batal Street is a main road where vehicles move very fast. There is no designated crossing or turnaround. We address the officials in charge, from the subdistrict director to MPs, who have not provided services. We demand an immediate solution.”

“For more than two weeks we have appealed to authorities to address this issue. We are not asking for something impossible, just a pedestrian bridge — the simplest demand. Will there be action only after a death occurs?” said resident Hussein Qaem. “We are not against development, but projects must be planned with safety measures.”

Traffic safety remains a national concern. The Ministry of Planning reported a 10% drop in road fatalities in 2024 compared with 2023, with 2,719 deaths recorded in 2,103 fatal crashes. Still, officials cite poor infrastructure, speeding, distracted driving, and weak enforcement as major risks.