Special mobile courts will take punitive action against people from Tuesday for not using footbridges and underpass when crossing a part of the Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue – one of the busiest roads of the capital.
According to a decision of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), jaywalkers would be sentenced to maximum six months’ imprisonment or fined Tk200 for jaywalking between the Ruposhi Bangla Hotel intersection and Farmgate Police Box, DMP Commissioner Benazir Ahmed told reporters yesterday.
Such practice increases chances of road accidents and creates traffic congestion, he said. Several DMP teams led magistrates would conduct the week-long drive.
There are six footbridges and one underpass along the mentioned area.
“Jaywalking not only puts the pedestrians’ lives at risk but also creates chaos,” the police commissioner said.
A three-day long campaign was launched by the DMP, ahead of the mobile court operation, to create pedestrian awareness to create the practice of the use of the footbridges and the only underground pass near the Karwan Bazar intersection.
Police would use banners and distribute leaflets during the campaign, to make the public conscious of the use of such footbridges and underpasses – a part of a pilot project to discipline pedestrians.
“We will set up mobile courts as a token initiative so that the city dwellers act in a responsible manner while crossing the streets,” the DMP chief said.
While blaming reckless driving by unlicensed and unskilled drivers for road accidents, Benazir said city dwellers were also responsible for the deaths as they cross the roads here and there.
“It is not possible to control this situation in a mega city like Dhaka. The citizens need to come forward too.”
He suggested that the city corporation authorities install escalators in the footbridges to attract pedestrians.
Benazir also urged private organisations to finance in measures taken for eradicating traffic congestion and haphazard situations on the city streets.
Asked if the DMP would take any initiative to free the three footbridges in Farmgate area, now occupied by hawkers, Joint Traffic Commissioner Moslehuddin Ahmed said they would look into the matter later.
There are over 40 footbridges and three underpasses in the capital. But most of those remain devoid of pedestrians as they are grabbed by beggars and hawkers, an illegal facility patronised reportedly by law enforcers, city corporation staff and ruling party-backed goons.
