Occupying footpaths illegally

My attention was drawn to a letter published in the letter column of an English daily on May 7. It was about the illegal and unrelenting driving motorcycles on the pavements meant for pedestrians. Most of the footpaths around the Gulshan first and second traffic circles are being illegally used by motorcyclists throughout the day. They think that the footpaths are meant for driving their motorcycles and parking their cars.
The motorcyclists come from behind and honk their horns forcing pedestrians to move across, and sometimes even force them to be on the road. This has become an everyday nuisance and the worst rush of motorcycles on footpath is from 9AM to 11AM and again from 4PM to 7PM in the evening. Over and above, motorcycles and even cars are also parked quite often on footpaths for a long time, blocking the normal walkway for the pedestrians, mostly in front of restaurants and a few shops.
This is an everyday reality, creating unnecessary hazards for elderly persons like this writer who normally negotiates the footpaths to go from one place to another. I think, traffic police officials should be posted randomly on any working day to penalise such offenders, or alternatively remove the illegally parked vehicles to the police station. The illegal practice can thus be considerably reduced.

S.A.Mansoor
Gulshan, Dhaka.
sam@dhakacom.com