Ctg footpaths occupied again

CHATTOGRAM, Jan 22: The footpaths and the roadsides in the port city are being occupied illegally by hawkers, disrupting vehicular and public movements.

City-dwellers said most of the footpaths and both sides of the roads in the port city have now been turned into hawker markets.

Pedestrians and vehicles cannot move smoothly through the footpaths and the roads whose most parts have become narrow.

Every day, severe traffic jams are created in different parts of the roads due to the illegal occupations of the roadsides and the footpaths.

Last year, the Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) conducted a mobile court to free the occupied footpaths and roadsides from hawkers.

During the drive in February, the CCC also demolished several thousand illegal establishments, including shops, from the footpaths at busy New Market and Station Road areas of the city.

Different syndicates have already occupied the footpaths and roadsides again.

"Most footpaths have virtually been turned into hawkers' markets in the port city. So, pedestrians and vehicles cannot move smoothly," says Abdur Rahman, a pedestrian.

Due to the illegal occupations, the traffic condition of the port city has turned worse, making public life miserable, he added.

Meanwhile, Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) is using road dividers to ease traffic congestion in the port city.

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