Shahariar Islam Sovon :
Street hawkers and vendors have occupied footpaths in different areas of the capital. From dawn to dusk, thousands of street vendors occupy one or both sides of the roads, mostly with rickshaw vans and benches.
Consequently the actual width of the streets gets narrowed, creating traffic congestion and making the movement of pedestrians and vehicles very difficult.
In Dhaka, like many other cities around the world, the presence of street vendors indeed creates challenges for residents. The bustling streets of Dhaka, with their vibrant street markets and stalls, are often crowded, traffic jams.
This congestion has been make commuting difficult for residents and exacerbates existing problems with air pollution and road hazards.
Street vendors have made the movements of daily commuters utmost difficult, especially in busy areas and pick times. Office-goers, students and others have to faced much problems from this traffic hours congestion. In some area, congestions at intersections are more as vendors set up their stalls on main roads, too, creating bottlenecks.
The designated shops and marketplaces in localities have also been affected badly due to nuisance of street vendors.
A traffic sergeant on condition of anonymity told The New Nation that we are also facing immense trouble as they occupy the footpaths and it causes massive traffic tailback. ‘People face challenge to cross the busy roads for them’, he said.
According to a report 300,000 hawkers or street vendors in Dhaka, on an average, pay Tk 200 daily as tolls to get permission for illegal vending on roads and streets.
In addition to physical inconveniences, some residents may feel that street vending detracts from the aesthetic appeal of the city or encroaches upon public spaces that could be used for other purposes.
However, it’s essential to recognize the key role that street vendors play in the local economy, providing affordable goods and services to residents, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds.
Many vendors rely on street vending as their main source of income and livelihood.