Makeshift markets on two sides of several important roads of Khulna city disrupt easy traffic movement causing immense suffering of the people. Besides, the number of mobile hawkers has increased alarmingly in the city who are now seen selling their products by commissioning makeshift shops at important points. Negligence of the authorities and influence of the street hawkers and local influential had turned many points of the busy city roads into bazaar, the city dwellers alleged. Clashes over establishing dominance and toll collection by political activists had become common at those points; requesting anonymity said an elderly local resident of Dakbanglow intersection.
Traders and hawkers have built up permanent structures selling fruits, vegetables, fish, chickens, cloths, shoes and various food items, he added. Even roadside restaurants and grocery shops occupy a large portion of the footpath, he further said.
As there is no specific place in the city to run their business, the hawkers sell their goods on streets and footpaths which make severe gridlocks in the city, resulting to the increased number of pick-pocketing, snatching, mugging and other crimes in the city.
The dwellers alleged that the makeshift shops at different points were causing traffic congestion ensuring smooth flow of traffic. Although traffic police are deployed at different busy points but they most often fail to control the unruly easy-bikes drivers and rickshaw-pullers. Hardly anybody can reach the destination in schedule time on account of serious traffic congestions at the busy points in the city.
While visiting different city areas including Picture Palace Crossing, Dak Bangla intersection, Shibbari intersection, KD Ghosh Road, Clay Road, Old Jessore Road, Cemetry Road, West Mekot Road,  Phul Marker Crossing, Moylapota Moar, Gallamari Moar, BL College Moar, Phulbarigate KUET Road, Daulatpur Bazar Moar , Phultala Bazar and Sonadanga bus stand intersection, it was found that hawkers and vendors had occupied the footpaths and commissioned their make-shift shops, leaving no space for the movement of vehicles and pedestrians.
Sources said there are around 6 to 8 thousand hawkers in Khulna city who bear their livelihood through commissioning makeshift shops on footpaths and streets.
Licence officer of KCC (vehicles branch) Harun-or-Rashid said, the corporation has provided licences to 17,000 rickshaws and around 2,500 battery-run auto-rickshaws time to time, but the number of rickshaws and battery-run three-wheelers are plying the city roads has almost doubled. Besides, thousands of vehicles including car, buses, tempos and battery-run auto-rickshaws have been running on the roads of Khulna.
Altaf Hossain, a battery-run auto-rickshaw driver said, “The number of cars and auto-rickshaws plying the city is too high for the existing roads. Most of the auto-rickshaw drivers hardly care about traffic rules. They take passengers and let them get down here and there and often take turning on the roads.”
Assistant Commissioner (traffic division) of Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP) Md Kalimullah said, “Arrangement of separate parking spaces for three-wheelers and keeping their number and movement under control can help ease traffic jam. Besides, the parking spaces of the high-rise buildings and markets should be used
properly.”
Khulna City Corporation (KCC), with the help of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-6) and Khulna Metropolitan Police (KMP), conducted several drives before to evict thousands of makeshift shops from footpaths in the city. But the situation became the same after 10 to 12 days of the drives.