Staff Correspondent
Most passengers’ sheds in the capital have been occupied by a section of hawkers, drug traders, shopkeepers, floating people and counter men of bus services in the absence of steps by the authorities concerned to evict them.
As a result, passengers and pedestrians have to suffer a lot mainly during the rainy and summer seasons.
Though the number of the passengers’ sheds at different points in the city is inadequate, Dhaka City Corporation has no plan now to construct more sheds to mitigate the sufferings of passengers, officials of estate department said.
A source in DCC also said the corporation had no plan for construction of any new shed at this moment.
Khalilur Rahman, chief estate officer of Dhaka City Corporation, said conservancy department has been overseeing the sheds since 2005. When contacted, an official of the department said the sheds are now under advertisement department.
But an official of advertisement department refused to make any comment on the state of passengers’ sheds.
As per an agreement signed between DCC and multinational companies, setting up of shops were allowed at corners of the sheds but almost all the shopkeepers have gradually occupied a large portion of the sheds, leaving little space for commuters, said a DCC official.
Earlier, DCC allowed three multinational companies to construct the sheds for passengers, but few irregularities were found in the construction, said the officer of estate department.
More than one thousand sheds on about 3,000 kilometre roads in the city are needed for commuters while the corporation has some 200 sheds and most of them have been occupied, said an employee of Manusher Jannay Rasta, a social organisation.
Dainik Janata had constructed 96 sheds while Blue Star constructed 114 sheds. Also, Rangs Electronics constructed few sheds.
Busy points such as Motijheel, Purana Paltan, Gulistan, Phulbaria, Mohakhali, Banani, Malibagh, Mouchak, Rampura, Gulshan, Mirpur, Shahbagh and Moghbazar have no enough sheds for passengers.
Some commuters complain that the distance between sheds and bus stands has made them of little use.
DCC should construct the sheds on the basis of bus stands and also in front of schools, colleges, hospitals and universities, said Aminul Islam of Manusher Jannay Rasta. ‘Passengers face troubles during the summer and raining seasons due to lack of sheds.’
A DCC official informed that the communications ministry in 2003 asked the city corporation to identify places for passengers’ sheds in the city but no headway has so far been made in this regard.
Sohely Parvin, a passenger said, ‘I always travel by bus from Uttara to Motijheel but I have to wait for bus on footpath in the absence of passengers’ sheds.’
An official of a private bank Shamsul Azam Sami claimed that sheds are not secured place for commuters but for hijackers and hawkers. However, sheds help commuters to protect themselves from rain and heat, he added.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
