THE New Nation on Wednesday reported that about 65 percent of the capital’s total walkways are illegally occupied by street hawkers creating a severe civic problem for the passersby. It raises question what the two City Corporations are doing to keep the footpaths clear as their recent eviction drives appear to have failed to deal with this basic safety issue of city dwellers.
Most of the sidewalks are now used as the alternative markets for all sorts of goods. Centering on the lucrative business, it is no secret that some powerful syndicates are running the illegal business satisfying local ruling party goons, police, and civil administration. As the open space in the city is being zapped up quickly when the city streets are getting around 300 new vehicles each month, the squeezing of footpaths are compelling pedestrians to use roads and become victims of accidents. Except expressing views and creating news, the City Corporations and Police administration have done almost nothing effective in this regard.
It is no secret that organised syndicates are collecting tolls from the makeshift roadside shops and outlets in exchange for protection to run the business unimpeded. Many unscrupulous officials of the two City Corporations and power utilities also provide illicit trade support and electricity connection in exchange of lucrative monthly payments. As always police get a fat share from the footpath business. The fact is that many political leaders have grabbed the footpaths making it almost impossible for City Corporations to take action against them. They evict them and again silently allow them to run the business from behind. The report made the disclosure that hawkers, vendors and permanent shops have occupied around 108km of the total 163km walkways in various ways and they prevail under any circumstances.
A recent study revealed that only 18 percent of the city footpaths are suitable for walking while the rest remains unusable due to occupation by car parking, hawkers, vendors, piling of construction materials to repair dilapidated streets. Some estimates said 2.5 lakh hawkers in the capital are mostly running business on footpaths and paying around Tk 50 crore each month which is going to powerful quarters including police, political leaders and their intermediaries What is important is that the City Corporations often run the eviction drives but vendors immediately return and those who control the footpaths realize extra money to allow to reoccupy.
The Mayors of the City Corporations are doing the easy part of their heavy responsibility. Like many others in the government they are too happy to be powerful for enjoying state facilities. Dhaka city has become unlivable for all sorts of problem. The traffic system has collapsed. But Mayors have not been able to do anything worthwhile in this area. They have not been able to regulate bus movements on the roads of the city. In every big city, buses use a fixed lane on the road. But not in Bangladesh. Here whole of the road belongs to buses. Police also help the bus drivers to feel like kings of the roads.
We have to change the prevailing political atmosphere to make government functionaries responsible to run the city smoothly and effectively.
