331 fined, but mobile courts could stop them only for a few hours
While a mobile court was fining pedestrians for jaywalking on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue at one place yesterday, people were crossing the thoroughfare ignoring the law at others, raising questions about the effectiveness of the drive and the city dwellers’ obedience to law.
“We tried to prevent people from crossing the busy road abruptly. Those who did not listen were penalised with Tk 20 to 200 fines,” said Metropolitan Executive Magistrate Sarwoer Alam.
Sarwoer, who led one of the two mobile courts set up on the avenue to prevent jaywalking, said most of the penalised jaywalkers were young and educated people.
Several jaywalkers said they were not aware of the drive. Those from the lower income group were fined the least amount, said the magistrate.
Sarwoer’s court, which was between Sonargaon intersection and Farmgate Police Box, penalised 172 jaywalkers. The other court, led by Metropolitan Magistrate Abdul Kuddus, penalised 159 between Bangla Motor and Hotel Ruposhi Bangla intersections.
Magistrate Kuddus said, “The aim of the drive is to build awareness among citizens and reduce the risk of accident and congestion.”
The two mobile courts realised around Tk 24,000. None were sent to jail.
The situation turned messy again once the mobile courts left for the day in the afternoon.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Saturday announced that it would conduct a weeklong drive at the stretch of the avenue between Hotel Ruposhi Bangla and Farmgate Police Box. It conducted a three-day awareness campaign since Saturday as well.
Additional police were deployed to coax pedestrians into using footbridges and pavements and capture them when they did not listen.
Signs were also placed asking pedestrians not to break the law.
“I did not know about the drive as I was sick over the last couple of days,” said Bappi, who was caught by traffic police while trying to cross the road near ATN Bangla office.
Asked why he was crossing the road violating the traffic rule and risking his life, he said he saw many people doing so.
Private firm employee Sanaullah, who was fined at Bangla Motor for not using the footbridge just above the intersection, said he was in a rush and also did not have any idea about the drive.
Several penalised jaywalkers alleged that the campaign was inadequate. They blamed the sorry state of footbridges and footpaths.
There are six footbridges on the stretch of the avenue and an underpass at Karwan Bazar. The footbridge next to Ananda Cinema was blocked by Dhaka North City Corporation on July 18 after a physical inspection of the structure by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. No restoration work is going on.
Two other footbridges are in shabby condition. Restoration of the one in front of The Daily Star Centre was underway. Pavements under the footbridge are partly occupied by construction materials, forcing pedestrians to walk on the road.
The sidewalks near the footbridge at Farmgate intersection are occupied by hawkers. Many pedestrians are compelled to walk on the road because of this.
A total of 950 people died in 1,102 accidents in the city since 2009. Of them, 134 people died in 155 accidents this year alone, said Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, joint commissioner (traffic) of DMP.
He said many more had to embrace lifelong physical disability due to traffic accidents.
Source: The Daily Star
