Traffic congestion has become a serious problem in the capital as most residents face unabated hardship in commuting through the city roads due to widespread indiscipline in the city’s transportation and traffic management.
Office goers, students and even patients continue to suffer from the intense traffic deadlocks, especially during the morning and evening peak hours, to reach their destinations.
This correspondent yesterday found a CNG-run auto rickshaw, carrying a patient with burn injuries, stuck on the Mirpur road at Kalabangan area for more than two hour.
Azharul Islam, who was attending the emergency patient, said they were on their way to Dhaka Medical College from Kallayanpur for treatment.
“It took us more than half-an-hour for us to reach Kalabagan from Kallayanpur due to immense traffic congestion. I don’t know when we will reach the hospital,” added Azharul is frustrated voice.
Farida Akhter, a resident of Moghbazar who came to Elephant Road for shopping, said: “It took around an hour to reach from Mogbazar to Elephant Road just because of this traffic jam.”
She also claimed that traffic congestion in the capital hikes during Ramadan every year but the but the government never took any steps to improve it.
This correspondent also found traffic gridlocks at almost every intersection of the capital, especially at Elephant Road, Kalabagan, New Market, Shahbagh, Mothsa Bhaban, Purana Paltan, Kakrail, Moghbazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Saat Rasta, among others.
While talking to the Dhaka Tribune, most residents blamed the lack of responsibility and other irregularities of authority concerned for the daily hardship of commuters traveling in the capital. They also claimed huge number of paddled rickshaws, auto rickshaws and footpath and road encroachment have also also contributed much to the daily hassle.
Although urban planners and even a Rajuk study had claimed that the traffic congestion in the capital occurs due to unplanned urbanisation and indiscipline in the city’s traffic management system, however, authorities concerned have rejected the allegations and blamed the rising number of residents and vehicles in the capital for the traffic deadlocks.
Urban Planner Prof Nazrul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune: “Unplanned urbanisation and traffic mismanagement in the capital are the main reason to increase traffic congestion. It may also increase in future if the government does not to take strict steps in decentralisation and traffic systems.”
According to a Rajuk study – Regional Development Planning (RDP) – city dwellers waste 11 minutes on an average at every major intersection and bus corridors around the capital.
The survey also observed that the city lacked adequate sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, foot over-bridges, parking facilities, bus stations, passenger sheds and public vehicles alongside the traffic mismanagement.
Although the government implemented a few mega projects, including construction of a number of flyovers across the city, the city’s traffic movement had not improved significantly.
At the same time, traffic signals and countdown timers installed in the capital have been of no use as the traffic police continue to regulate traffic flows manually. Manual traffic controls usually encourages drivers and commuters to disobey rules.
Moreover, BRTA data shows a total of 87,795 unfit motor vehicles plying across the roads of Dhaka, posing threat to road safety and contributing to traffic congestion.
DMP Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Mosleh Uddin Ahmed told the Dhaka Tribune: “There are mainly three reasons are now the reasons for the traffic jam.”
“The construction of Mogbazar-Mouchak flyover has congested the roads in the area, reasoning the effect has stretched all over the city. Moreover, during Ramadan most of the markets and shopping malls has filled with Eid shoppers.”
“Another reason is the raising number of vehicles in the capital. Every year, around 36,000 new motor vehicles join the city roads. However, the road had not been expanded.”
He also said the number of traffic police in the capital have been increased to maintain the system in Ramadan, but it would be difficult to reduce the jam completely.