A few bus-shelters in the Dhaka city are available for the commuters relying on public transport as most of them are occupied by shopkeepers, vendors, drug addicts and even sex workers.
Dozens of the 162 bus-shelters in Dhaka have been turned into shops where people enjoy snacks and refreshments while bus passengers are forced to stand nearby on the road.
Passenger sheds at Malibagh, Paltan, Fakirapul, Dainik Bangla intersection, Baitul Mukarram, Motijheel, Farmgate, New Market are used by small roadside businessmen.
The Motijheel Shapla Chattar bus-shelter that was painted by the advertisements of Sonar Bangla Insurance Limited is difficult to identify as the whole bus shelter has been turned into a small market.
It is used by businesses trying to sell cheap clothes, mobile covers and tea.
Meanwhile, the commuters have to stand on the street.
At Mouchak, a bus-shelter is used by a butcher who took on it on lease from the Dhaka City Corporation for two years ago to do snacks business.
The DCC records state that at Dainik Bangla intersection there is supposed to be four shelters – but only one could be identified.
There is also no sign of a bus-shelter at Notre Dam College when there is supposed to be one.
Near Dhaka City College there is a bus-shelter but there is no bench in it to sit in and the space is shared by a stationary shop.
At the Malibagh passenger shelter, which is near a Criminal Investigation Department office, passengers were found waiting for a bus on the road while the shelter was completely occupied by shops selling flexi-load, spices and fruits.
Mitu a student of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, has said that everyday she waits for bus on the footpath as the two bus-shelters have been turned into medicine shops where snacks, juice, cigarette and betel leaf are available.
She said that the bus-shelters need to be monitored by the DCC.
Mitu has also said that in rainy season it creates huge problem for commuters.
Miraj, an accountant of a buying house who was been waiting for a bus to go to his office at Gulshan, has told New Age that the bus-
shelters are urgent in the Moghbazar area as a large number of people go from Moghbazar to their offices in Uttara or Gazipur.
Business centres like Motijheel, Paltan, Malibagh, Mouchak, Mohakhali, Banani, Gulshan, Mirpur, Shahbagh and Firmgate, Gulistan, badly need more bus-shelters where millions of commuters suffer everyday, he has said.
The Dhaka City Corporation executive magistrate Khalil Ahmed said that they had already fined a number of shops located at bus stops in different places of the Dhaka city.
Khalil told New Age that the DCC had to rely on DMP police officers to take action, but the police often refused to assist.
He also admitted the corporation's manpower crisis.
Source : New Age
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