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NOWADAYS, almost all the footpaths have been occupied either by the vendors or by the shop owners. Due to allowing shops to be set up across almost all the roads, this kind of practice of occupying footpaths is also going on unabated. From small to big products like cars are kept on the walkways hindering the movement of people. But none is there to check them or force them to remove them.
Once we used to see the eviction drive by police or city corporation. Particularly, during the Eid shopping spree, the authorities concerned conduct the drive to ease the movement of the crowd. But this kind of drive, however, is not continued at other times. As a result, this seasonal drive does not leave any impact on the nature of the businessmen and salesmen. If we see the nature of other shop owners who set up their business establishments in shopping malls or markets, we also find the walkways occupied there too. They also put their items on the passage for the shoppers and do not refrain from saying anything if anyone, by any chance, steps onto the displayed items. They feel it is normal and there is no offence involved.
Allowing the use footpaths for purposes other than walking severely hampers the rights of the customers. This practice also grants scope for pilferage of electricity as well as shows that businessmen do not do any assessment of their capacity in respect of sales, product selection and stock management. And this is true for all cases -- whether the big shops or vendors. All try to display items more than their capacities.
Ferdousi Akbar
Azimpur
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