The government is planning to set a ceiling for the number of private cars a single family can have, with an aim to ease the capital’s crippling traffic congestion.
“A proposal has been incorporated in the draft Road Transport and Traffic Bill 2015 to fix the highest number of private cars for every family,” Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told parliament yesterday.
Process is now at the final stage to enact two separate laws – Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Bill 2015 and Road Transport and Traffic Bill 2015 – as alternatives to the Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1983, he said replying to a question.
The minister, however, did not specify the ceiling of private cars for a family.
In reply to another question, Obaidul said the government has a plan to construct a second Padma Bridge at Paturia-Goalanda point.
He expressed hopes that it would be possible to start construction of the proposed bridge in time if foreign donation is available.
Meanwhile, the minister said some 227 black spots for traffic congestion and road accidents on different highways have been identified through a survey.
Of them, remedial works for 68 black spots have already been completed, he said replying to another question.
Besides, remedial works for 15 more black spots would start soon under Joydebpur-Chandra-Tangail-Elenga four-lane highway project, he said.
For the remedial measures for the remaining 144 black spots, a Tk165 crore project titled Improvement of Road Safety at Black Spots of National Highways has already begun, the minister added.
Replying to another query, Obaidul said a four-lane highway was not the solution for reducing road accidents; rather, awareness was more necessary. “Apart from this, in many cases drivers become reckless. It seems sometimes that they [drivers] become kings of the road behind the steering wheel. They do not want to follow the law; that is why accidents take place.”
Replying to another query, the minister said the first phase of Dhaka-Chittagong four lane construction work is about to be complete.
“I hope that the prime minister will open the four lane at the end of May this year,” he said.