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Editorial

Footpaths still under illegal occupation

Provide designated corridors for hawkers


Bangladeshpost
Published : 11 Aug 2022 08:44 PM

It is disconcerting to note that encroachment on footpaths and pavements are on the rise due to the absence of stringent vigilance by the city authorities. Thousands of makeshift shops have reportedly sprung up on city roads and footpaths. An increasing number of vendors are mushrooming on the city streets and hindering movement of vehicles while compelling the pedestrians to walk through the main roads. Cars randomly parked on the streets, rickshaws, carts and disorganized bus stands have also aggravated the situation.

It is needless to mention that such a situation is jeopardizing the capital’s urban health. Regularly, hundreds of thousands of commuters have to face gridlock on roads due to illegal occupation of footpaths. 


The two city corporations should provide 

directives so that registered hawkers shift 

shops at the selected corridors


Road users cannot reach their destinations on time due to forced occupation of footpaths and pedestrians are forced to walk through roads, causing accidents.

The two corporations conduct eviction drive routinely, but after the drive hawkers again return to the footpaths for doing business. It is said that law enforcers and a section of unscrupulous local groups take bribes from the hawkers and help them reappear on the roads.

Experts assert that the two city corporations—Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC)-are responsible for maintaining about 163 km of footpath across the city, of which more than 90 km are now under illegal occupation.

Reports tell us that some 2 lakh hawkers in the capital pay tolls to extortionists every day to run their business. Hence, to remove such a huge number of illegal hawkers from the roads and footpaths, hawkers’ registration is a must. It is time to build designated hawker’s corridors adjacent to footpaths so that they do not occupy 

the streets. 

Also, the two city corporations should provide directives so that registered hawkers shift shops at the selected corridors.