55 jaywalkers, 79 unfit vehicles fined on last day

Cops grab jaywalkers by the hand and lead them to mobile courts set up nearby on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue. Star file photo

At least 55 jaywalkers and owners of 79 unfit vehicles were fined Tk 33,700 at Sonargaon and Banglamotor intersections in Dhaka on the last day of the week-long drive by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).

The range of fine for crossing the intersection without foot over-bridges was between Tk 50 and Tk 100, said Sarwoer Alam, an executive magistrate of Dhaka District Administration who led the court at the Sonargaon intersection.
The court also fined unfit vehicles from Tk 500 to Tk 2,000 for plying on the road violating traffic rules on the concluding day of the drive, which continued until 4:00pm today.
“We have launched the drive against unfit vehicles and reckless driving,” Sarwoer said.
In Sonargaon intersection, a total of 43 vehicles were fined about Tk 19 thousand while 18 jaywalkers were fined Tk 2450, he added.  
While Abdul Quddus, another executive magistrate of Dhaka District Administration who led the drive at Banglamotor intersection, said a total of 37 jaywalkers were fined Tk 2,720 while around 36 vehicles were fined Tk 14,700, Sarwoer said.
A total of 843 jaywalkers were fined Tk 58,050 while around 95 buses were fined Tk 37,100 during the week-long drive from November 25 in a bid to reduce road accidents and free the footpaths from illegal occupation, Sarwoer said.  
He said, “In addition to that we have removed around 149 makeshift shops from Farmgate, Panthapath and Sonargaon areas during the drive.”
“We will keep our vigilance so that no one can occupy the footpaths and footbridges again,” he added.       
Amid a sorry state of footbridges and footpaths in the city, the DMP started the drives against jaywalking on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue from November 25 after conducting a three-day awareness campaign.
“It was our pilot project to reduce road accidents and remove illegal businesses from the footpaths and footbridges. The project was result oriented and it will resume after one or two weeks to make our efforts fruitful,” he added.