2 days Ago
The footpaths of Dhaka are always busy with commercial activity. Street vendors line the walkways, selling everything from fruits and clothes to mobile accessories and snacks. For many, these vendors are a lifeline, offering affordable goods and services, conveniently.
Yet, this same vibrant economy is a source of frustration for pedestrians, who find their paths obstructed and their safety compromised. According to a study by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), 60 percent of the footpaths of Dhaka are illegally occupied. But this occupation of footpaths by vendors is simply not an issue of right and wrong—it is a deeply human story, one that reflects the complexities of urban poverty, survival, and the need for inclusive solutions.
Dhaka, a city of over 20 million people, already struggles with a lack of adequate infrastructure for pedestrians. Footpaths are meant for safe walking but pedestrians are forced onto the congested roads as vendors have taken over Dhaka's footpaths. This results in a chaotic mix of people and vehicles, increasing the risk of road crashes.
It also creates difficulties for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, and children since navigating these cluttered spaces is not only inconvenient but can be life-threatening for them too. Moreover, the unregulated nature of these street markets leads to sanitation issues, traffic congestion, and loss of aesthetic appeal in many neighbourhoods. But beneath this apparent disorder lies an uncomfortable truth: the vendors are not villains.
They are individuals trying to survive in a city where formal employment opportunities are limited. Street vendors play a vital role in Dhaka's urban ecosystem. Selling goods on the street is a primary source of income for thousands of families in the city.
Many street vendors are rural migrants or individuals displaced by poverty, who have turned to street vending as a means of survival. Vendors provide affordable goods and services to millions of Dhaka's residents. These small businesses sell inexpensive meals for workers and budget clothing for students, serving those who can't shop at malls or supermarkets.
Vendors bring goods directly to people's doorsteps, saving time and transportation costs for those who rely on them. For many in Dhaka, they are an essential part of daily life. The street markets of Dhaka reflect the city's entrepreneurial spirit and cultural diversity.
They are part of what makes Dhaka, Dhaka. It is essential to find a balance between the needs of pedestrians and the livelihoods of vendors and the task is not easy. Evicting vendors outright would ignore the socio-economic realities they face, but leaving the current situation unchecked would exacerbate the problems of urban chaos and safety.
Providing solutions requires a combined approach of actions such as: i) designing designated vending zones; ii) creating time-based access; iii) licensing and regulation; iv) creating pedestrian-centric design; v) support vendors; and vi) engaging community. Dhaka can allocate specific areas as vending zones, especially near busy markets, bus stops, and residential neighbourhoods. These zones should be planned to minimise pedestrian disruption while maximising vendor visibility.
For time-based access, vending could be allowed in certain footpaths during specific hours of the day, such as evenings or weekends, when pedestrian traffic is lower. This would create a balance between commerce and accessibility. Introducing a licensing system for street vendors would help regulate their numbers and ensure compliance with sanitation and safety standards.
This could include rules on how much space each vendor can occupy. To create pedestrian-centric design, footpaths should be widened, where possible, and new infrastructure projects should incorporate vending-friendly designs. For example, shaded areas or small kiosks integrated into sidewalks could accommodate vendors without obstructing pedestrian flow.
Furthermore, vendors should be given access to microfinance, training, and alternative employment opportunities to reduce their dependency on informal street vending. Programmes to integrate them into formal markets or co-ops could uplift their economic prospects. Finally, solutions must involve dialogue between pedestrians, vendors, local communities, authorities, implementation agencies, and technical personnel.
This guarantees that policies are effective, fair, and comprehensive. It's not that no initiative ever took place to regulate these vendor activities and provide pedestrian facilities, but continuous monitoring and a permanent policy are needed for effective results in the long run. The story of Dhaka's footpaths is not only about conflict; it is also about survival, resilience, and the urgent need for compassion.
It is about acknowledging the humanity of both pedestrians and vendors and designing solutions that allow both to thrive. These walkways, now battlegrounds between livelihoods and mobility, hold the dreams of vendors striving to make ends meet and the frustration of pedestrians seeking safety and dignity. Imagine a Dhaka where footpaths breathe with life and purpose—wide, clean, and welcoming, where vendors thrive in organised, vibrant spaces, and pedestrians move freely and safely.
This is not just a vision; it is a call to action that requires strong political will. To reclaim our walkways is to reclaim our humanity, creating a city that honours both its people's struggles and their right to a better future. Farzana Islam Toma is an architect and road safety professional working as a consultant for the sustainable city programme at World Resources Institute.
She can be reached at [email protected] . Views expressed in this article are the author's own. Follow The Daily Star Opinion on Facebook for the latest opinions, commentaries and analyses by experts and professionals.
To contribute your article or letter to The Daily Star Opinion, see our guidelines for submission . The footpaths of Dhaka are always busy with commercial activity. Street vendors line the walkways, selling everything from fruits and clothes to mobile accessories and snacks.
For many, these vendors are a lifeline, offering affordable goods and services, conveniently. Yet, this same vibrant economy is a source of frustration for pedestrians, who find their paths obstructed and their safety compromised. According to a study by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), 60 percent of the footpaths of Dhaka are illegally occupied.
But this occupation of footpaths by vendors is simply not an issue of right and wrong—it is a deeply human story, one that reflects the complexities of urban poverty, survival, and the need for inclusive solutions. Dhaka, a city of over 20 million people, already struggles with a lack of adequate infrastructure for pedestrians. Footpaths are meant for safe walking but pedestrians are forced onto the congested roads as vendors have taken over Dhaka's footpaths.
This results in a chaotic mix of people and vehicles, increasing the risk of road crashes. It also creates difficulties for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, and children since navigating these cluttered spaces is not only inconvenient but can be life-threatening for them too. Moreover, the unregulated nature of these street markets leads to sanitation issues, traffic congestion, and loss of aesthetic appeal in many neighbourhoods.
But beneath this apparent disorder lies an uncomfortable truth: the vendors are not villains. They are individuals trying to survive in a city where formal employment opportunities are limited. Street vendors play a vital role in Dhaka's urban ecosystem.
Selling goods on the street is a primary source of income for thousands of families in the city. Many street vendors are rural migrants or individuals displaced by poverty, who have turned to street vending as a means of survival. Vendors provide affordable goods and services to millions of Dhaka's residents.
These small businesses sell inexpensive meals for workers and budget clothing for students, serving those who can't shop at malls or supermarkets. Vendors bring goods directly to people's doorsteps, saving time and transportation costs for those who rely on them. For many in Dhaka, they are an essential part of daily life.
The street markets of Dhaka reflect the city's entrepreneurial spirit and cultural diversity. They are part of what makes Dhaka, Dhaka. It is essential to find a balance between the needs of pedestrians and the livelihoods of vendors and the task is not easy.
Evicting vendors outright would ignore the socio-economic realities they face, but leaving the current situation unchecked would exacerbate the problems of urban chaos and safety. Providing solutions requires a combined approach of actions such as: i) designing designated vending zones; ii) creating time-based access; iii) licensing and regulation; iv) creating pedestrian-centric design; v) support vendors; and vi) engaging community. Dhaka can allocate specific areas as vending zones, especially near busy markets, bus stops, and residential neighbourhoods.
These zones should be planned to minimise pedestrian disruption while maximising vendor visibility. For time-based access, vending could be allowed in certain footpaths during specific hours of the day, such as evenings or weekends, when pedestrian traffic is lower. This would create a balance between commerce and accessibility.
Introducing a licensing system for street vendors would help regulate their numbers and ensure compliance with sanitation and safety standards. This could include rules on how much space each vendor can occupy. To create pedestrian-centric design, footpaths should be widened, where possible, and new infrastructure projects should incorporate vending-friendly designs.
For example, shaded areas or small kiosks integrated into sidewalks could accommodate vendors without obstructing pedestrian flow. Furthermore, vendors should be given access to microfinance, training, and alternative employment opportunities to reduce their dependency on informal street vending. Programmes to integrate them into formal markets or co-ops could uplift their economic prospects.
Finally, solutions must involve dialogue between pedestrians, vendors, local communities, authorities, implementation agencies, and technical personnel. This guarantees that policies are effective, fair, and comprehensive. It's not that no initiative ever took place to regulate these vendor activities and provide pedestrian facilities, but continuous monitoring and a permanent policy are needed for effective results in the long run.
The story of Dhaka's footpaths is not only about conflict; it is also about survival, resilience, and the urgent need for compassion. It is about acknowledging the humanity of both pedestrians and vendors and designing solutions that allow both to thrive. These walkways, now battlegrounds between livelihoods and mobility, hold the dreams of vendors striving to make ends meet and the frustration of pedestrians seeking safety and dignity.
Imagine a Dhaka where footpaths breathe with life and purpose—wide, clean, and welcoming, where vendors thrive in organised, vibrant spaces, and pedestrians move freely and safely. This is not just a vision; it is a call to action that requires strong political will. To reclaim our walkways is to reclaim our humanity, creating a city that honours both its people's struggles and their right to a better future.
Farzana Islam Toma is an architect and road safety professional working as a consultant for the sustainable city programme at World Resources Institute. She can be reached at [email protected] . Views expressed in this article are the author's own.
Follow The Daily Star Opinion on Facebook for the latest opinions, commentaries and analyses by experts and professionals. To contribute your article or letter to The Daily Star Opinion, see our guidelines for submission ..
