There is something very unique, or rather, more appositely uniquely wrong, about Dhaka’s footpaths. One can find people riding motorcycles on them, and they include guardians taking their children to and from school. That too in almost all parts of Dhaka. Indeed, the practice is so rampant that a newcomer to the city might think that the “footpath” is an oxymoron and should actually be called “all-path.”
Dhaka is one of the most traffic-congested cities in the world. But that does not in any way mean that the solution adopted by some of the city’s motorcyclists can be justified. Riding on footpaths is not just a nuisance but has also been banned since a High Court Division ruling in 2012. And it is a shame that the High Court Division had to pass a ruling on such a basic matter of common sense.
Regardless, doing so is ubiquitous. While some footpaths in the city have had barricades set up around them, it has failed to fix the problem. And needless to say, any barricade may pose formidable obstacles to the users of wheelchairs. Recent years have seen the rise of ride sharing services, which apparently has only increased the occurrences of this malpractice. Some riders have even claimed that their passengers encourage them to do so. Of course, the nonsensical choices of two persons do not make it a sensical one.
And it does not help law enforcement that some of its members have themselves been spotted doing the same. Even though nobody should be doing this, I find it particularly concerning when guardians do this with their children on board. Children are getting accustomed to the idea that riding on the footpath is not only fine but even a matter of convenience. And perhaps also an unmistakable lesson that convenience can trump law and safety, which may just lead them to more serious violations of the law in the future. And the blatant disregard some of these guardians show for other children’s safety (which I have personally experienced while going to or returning from school) should concern everyone. How the thought that someone’s child could get hurt as a result of their actions fails to dissuade them is rather bewildering. And if they are not even worried about children, then it is unfathomable how they can be brought to worry about adults.
I don’t know what punishment there is for this utterly dangerous disregard for the traffic rules. It is much more than a matter of law enforcement. But it must be remembered that riding motorcycles on the pavement is not a victimless crime at all. Riders can seriously injure pedestrians if they fail to strike a rather delicate balance in acceleration and deceleration when doing so.
Children are getting accustomed to the idea that riding on the footpath is not only fine but even a matter of convenience
Probably, this sort of unruliness and blissful lack of care do not happen anywhere else in the world and it is high time that it ceases to happen here as well. And pedestrians should not have to worry about being pushed by motorcyclists or being annoyed by the loud honks. Even though having just one particular demographic cease to do this will not solve the problem entirely, it will be a step in the right direction. The fact that this particular group is responsible for raising the next generation increases the chances that the next generation will stop viewing the reckless act as perfectly natural. That would ensure the problem does not exist in the future. If guardians want a safer city for their children, they must start by changing their own behaviour. After all, collective change begins with individual change.
It is, therefore, imperative that guardians stop riding on footpaths, especially when they are riding with their children, in order to contribute to the gradual cessation of the activity by the broader motorcyclist community. And as for the naysayers who refuse to believe that this problem can be fixed, one may piggyback on Nelson Mandela’s wisdom that, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” Besides, failure to do this will result in Dhaka’s footpaths becoming cursed for ages to come and accentuate a vicious trend of trumping rules and norms for convenience. This need not be a matter of just law enforcement by the traffic police but a matter of common sense.
Radman Siddiki is a student of Class X of Dhaka Residential Model College.
