Severe traffic congestion has become a daily ordeal for residents of Rangpur city as a shortage of traffic personnel and a surge in unauthorized vehicles overwhelm the city’s streets.
Only eight traffic sergeants are assigned to manage traffic across the metropolitan area, while two are often unavailable due to leave and other reasons, leaving just six to handle traffic, according to the Rangpur Metropolitan Police (RpMP) traffic division.
The city covers around 200 square kilometres, but the traffic division lacks sufficient manpower to manage its growing traffic volume. Officials said more than 100 additional personnel, including traffic sergeants, are urgently needed.
Traffic congestion is particularly severe along the four-kilometre stretch from Medical Intersection to Shapla Chattar and on the road from City Bazar to Jahaj Company Intersection. Traffic often remains gridlocked from morning until 10:00 pm in the latter area.
According to Rangpur City Corporation sources, 8,000 auto-rickshaws are licensed to operate in the city. However, an estimated 70,000-80,000 auto-rickshaws are operating daily. Similarly, only 2,000 battery-run rickshaws are licensed, while more than 100,000 are reportedly operating.
The main roads, including the Medical Intersection-Dhap-City Bazar-Jahaj Company Intersection route and Shapla Chattar-Station-Lalbagh Road, are struggling to cope with the growing number of vehicles.
A visit to several roads found roadside hawkers occupying parts of the carriageways and footpaths, while motorcycles, vans and goods were parked indiscriminately. The encroachments have narrowed the roads further, worsening congestion caused by the large number of unauthorized vehicles.
Urban planner Hasan Sobhan said there was little discipline in traffic movement in Rangpur and that neither the city corporation nor the traffic division had taken effective measures to address the problem.
“Where the roads can accommodate around 10,000 auto-rickshaws, battery-run rickshaws and other vehicles, more than 100,000 are operating,” he said, adding that effective action against unauthorized vehicles was essential to ease congestion.
A traffic sergeant, speaking on condition of anonymity, said many people no longer followed police instructions and officers were often reluctant to take action because of complaints against them. He said mobile courts were needed to ensure compliance with traffic laws.
RpMP Traffic Division Deputy Commissioner Maruf Ahmed acknowledged the manpower shortage, saying only eight traffic sergeants were assigned to the city. “Two of them are often unavailable due to leave and other reasons, leaving only six to manage traffic.”
It is not possible for six sergeants to control traffic across the city, he said, adding that the authorities had been informed about the need for additional manpower.