People forced to use shabby pavements, footbridges
The drive against jaywalking on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue has encouraged many pedestrians to use footbridges but they complained of the sorry state of the bridges and pavements.
Most of the six footbridges and the lone underpass on the stretch of the avenue between Farmgate Police Box and Hotel Ruposhi Bangla are poorly maintained, unclean and sometimes occupied by hawkers.
Meanwhile, the two mobile courts backed by Dhaka Metropolitan Police on the second day of the drive yesterday jailed a woman for a month and fined 255 people Tk 13,915.
The footbridge near Ananda Cinema has been out of commission since July 18 while the bridge at Farmgate remains occupied by hawkers and beggars round the year. It is not clean, said pedestrians. The pavements near the footbridge at Farmgate have been occupied by hawkers for years. Due to this occupation, many have to cross the road on foot, said locals.
Thomas Babul Mondal, a driver who uses the footbridges at Farmgate regularly, said police and the authorities concerned should first ensure facilities for pedestrians before going for such drives.
"When I cross a footbridge of Farmgate, I find most of the places occupied by hawkers," he said, adding, “Police claim of conducting drives against hawkers but the fact is hawkers run their business bribing police.”
Deputy Commissioner Imtiaz Ahmed of Traffic (West) said it was not true that police take bribes from hawkers to let them sit on pavements and footbridges. He, however, admitted that such allegations have been circulating for a while.
Shorafat Ahmed, who works at an office in Farmgate, said cars often park on the footpaths blocking pedestrians.
Aminul Islam, a trader of Karwan Bazar, was crossing the dusty underpass at Karwan Bazar holding a handkerchief over his mouth. "It is really a good initiative but the authorities should take proper step to repair the footbridges and conduct regular cleaning drives."
An official of Dhaka North City Corporation said they had already started restoration work on the footbridge near The Daily Star office and it would be done in a week and the footbridge near Ananda Cinema would be taken down.
On the second day of the drive, more people were using the footbridges and the underpass and the number of violators reduced.
Sarwoer Alam, executive magistrate of the DMP, said they sentenced Tania, 22, to one month imprisonment for biting a female police constable while the officer was bringing her to the mobile court for not using footbridges.
The two courts fined the jaywalkers between Tk 20 and Tk 200.
Md Abdul Kuddus, who leads the other mobile court, said the trend of violating the rules was changing gradually.
He said they would conduct an extensive drive in the city later on.
Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Save the Environment Movement, said they appreciate the drive but the authorities concerned should first ensure all facilities for the pedestrians.
Without keeping footpaths free from illegal occupations, the drive against jaywalkers is not acceptable, he said.
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