Study underlines need for safe footpaths
44pc capital roads don�t have footpaths, 82pc unfit for pedestrians, says WBB study
Staff Reporter
Almost 44 per cent of the roads in the capital and its outskirts do not have footpaths, and of the existing footpaths, 82 per cent are unfit for pedestrians to walk on, says a report by Working for a Better Bangladesh (WBB).
The WBB presented the study report at the BILIA Centre yesterday at a discussion on steps to create an environment for safe walking by pedestrians in the city.
Presenting the report, Tiqur Rahman, a project official of the WBB, said most people use their feet for movement in the city, but urban planners have given preference to private cars. This has resulted in a city of traffic congestions, where rising air pollution and accidents are threatening our future, he said.
Citing the survey, the report observed that 79 per cent of the citys residents consider the fast vehicles as dangerous and prefer safe and unobstructed well-lit pavements, along with garbage management and toilet facilities.
It pointed out that the basic aim of transportation was movement of goods and people from one place to another. The priority given to cars over people using crutches and wheelchairs, had made the city unsafe for pedestrians and the physically challenged, whose needs must also be considered.
The participants at the discussion observed that everyone must work together to free pavements and streets of encroachments and congestion.
The discussion was chaired by Director of WBB Gaus Piyari Mukti and participants included journalist Nikhil Bhadra, Shahjahan Mollah, Ratan Balo, Shakila Ruma, Raju Hamid and Mizanur Rahman, said a release.
