Editorial
Pavements under siege!
Restore them to pedestrians
If pictures speak a thousand words, than the one carried in the Metropolitan page of this newspaper, last Monday, speaks many more than that. It was a picture of Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, a so-called VIP road, where the pavement has been commandeered by parked cars, and one can also see that it is also being used to repair cars, among other things.
In other words, the footpath is being used for everything except for the purpose that is built, which is, for use by the pedestrians. And the helpless pedestrians are forced to use the main road instead, being left with no other alternative.
The consequence of this is that vehicle movements are being hampered by pedestrians who are forced to use the road that is impeding normal flow of traffic, apart from the fact that they are also putting their lives at risk.
We find it hard to believe that of all the roads in Dhaka City a major thoroughfare like the VIP road would be plagued by a problem that is pervasive all over the capital. Frankly, one hardly gets to see a stretch of footpath of any definition here. They are either occupied by hawkers and vendors, or they are covered under pile of sand or bricks or other construction materials, or have been occupied by police box or by offices of appendages of political parties.
We are surprised that a public service facility is being misused with impunity and the authorities concerned are least bothered to do anything about it. Or perhaps they are turning a blind eye for whatever reasons. The sorry state cannot be endured any longer. Is it asking too much of the relevant authorities and the police for the footpaths to be retrieved completely and restored to the public for their use?
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments