‘Make footpaths walkable before punishing jaywalkers’

Before being tough against jaywalkers in Dhaka city, experts suggest the city authorities to make footpaths clear alongside ensuring safe zebra crossings and footbridges and underpasses so that the pedestrians could move safely, reports UNB.

Walkable footpaths are needed for accessibility to opportunities, mobility, public health and environment, they said suggesting rapid pedestrianisation in the city setting aside priority areas for pedestrians and traffic control on major roads and residential areas for creating the ground for action against jaywalkers.

"The first job is to make the footpaths clear. It's the traffic police's duty to help people cross streets. If they make all the zebra crossings clear and help pedestrians cross roads, then there'll be no need to fine them," eminent urban planner Prof Nazrul Islam told the news agency.

Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, another prominent urban planner and vice-chancellor of the University of Asia Pacific, said the hawkers and small traders who grab the city walkways to do business must be brought to justice aiming to make footpaths clear for walking. "All footpaths are illegally occupied as vendors are doing business by bribing the police," he added.