Gulam Rabbani :
A large number of people walk on foot in the capital city everyday. Of them, the garment workers walk more than people of any other profession. Those who travel by bus or by other means of transport walk also more or less. Many men and women, however, love to cover short distance on foot.
Many women also want to walk from one place to another. But they cannot do this in absence of suitable environment. At the time of traffic congestion, walking becomes cumbersome.Experts said, if there is an improved system and friendly environment, many people would be encouraged to do it, especially in a short distance, and that will reduce pressure on transports. It will reduce pollution on the one hand and will protect residents’ health on the other hand. Then Dhaka will become a living city.
According to a report, ‘Move for Health’ was the theme of World Health Day in 2002 as settled by World Health Organization (WHO). It was said that encouraging people to walk on foot and to use bicycle should be the duty of a government.
During a recent visit it was found that footpaths at Paltan, Gulistan, Motijheel, New Market, Panthapath, Dhanmondi, Mohakhali and Mirpur-Section-10 areas were occupied by hawkers and vendors leaving almost no space for pedestrians. Footpaths around High Court and Ramna Park are filled with human excreta. A lot of helpless and floating people live in those footpaths.
There is nobody to check it as well as there are no initiatives for rehabilitation of those people.
Mehedy Hasan, a city resident and a private service holder, always tries to go to his office on foot. It helps him save his money and keep his health good. But he doesn’t feel comfort while walking. He said, there is no healthy environment on footpaths to cover a long or short distance on foot. Hawkers and vendors have occupied most of the footpaths in the city. In addition, footpaths at solitary places are filled with human excreta. The floating people do it at night. It destroys environment. There is nobody to check it.
Bijon Halder, a city resident and a teacher of a private college, said that he faces traffic congestion while going to his office almost everyday of a week. Then he tries to walk despite various problems. He collides with many people because of short space to walk.
Professor Nazrul Islam, Chairman of Centre for Urban Studies (CUS), said, people walk a short distance for their needs. But we have not got enough footpaths for their movements. The Dhaka city was not built properly. Maximum footpaths have been grabbed by hawkers and vendors.
He also said that the authority always plans to give priority to the pedestrians at the time of constructing a road. But it has now become lip service only. To overcome this situation, there must be a perfect plan and respect for rule of law.
