THE Road Safety Unit (RSU) in the Ministry of Transport and Works is appealing to pedestrians to use the pedestrian overhead bridge on Marcus Garvey Drive instead of attempting to run across six lanes of highway traffic.

"Persons don't want to use the bridge in the mornings and it's dangerous trying to cross six lanes of traffic on a highway. You see the ladies pulling up their skirts, scaling the barriers and running across the road, endangering their lives," says Kenute Hare, director of the RSU.

He said pedestrians refuse to walk the short distance to the bridge which was put up as part of the construction of the road leading to and from the Portmore Toll Road.

"The unit is requesting that pedestrians walk the extra distance and use the pedestrian bridge, rather than endangering themselves."

The unit is pleading for the support of all the pedestrians in an effort to keep road fatalities below 300 per year.

The unit has also appealed to the companies in the Newport West area to encourage employees to use the bridge, as at least two pedestrians have been killed since last year attempting to cross the traffic lanes.