Eid-ul-Azha holidaymakers are enduring a torrid time at entry and exit points in Dhaka due to chronic gridlock caused by a traffic system under severe strain.
Homebound people have to wait for hours at counters and on roads, with transport workers blocking roads by parking their vehicles indiscriminately in the middle of the carriageway and traffic police not working at night.
Besides, the condition of major highways is also not satisfactory although repair work, costing Tk300 crore, has been continuing in full swing at different spots.
It takes passengers two to four hours to cross major intersections including Abdullahpur, Gabtoli and Saidabad as the spots remain choked with vehicles all the times.
Highway woes
Recent floods and heavy rainfall left most of the roads in a sorry state. The situation has gotten even worse due to the increased number of cattle-laden vehicles and home-goers. Roadside cattle markets in Dhaka and on some highways are also responsible for the discomfort of the travellers.
There is also a possibility of 5-10mm rain in the next five days that might be compounding the travellers’ woes.
Traffic situation has slightly improved on the Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Tangail highways after the repair work. But, weighing scales and the narrow two-lane Meghna-Gumti bridge are contributing to slow speed on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway. The situation is similar on the Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Aricha highways.
‘Roads in a better state’
Speaking to the Dhaka Tribune, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique said: “There has been no negligence in the repair work. Highways are in a better state now.
“A number of teams are working to avoid possible chaos and mismanagement at terminals.”
Striking the same note, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said: “The state of all highways is good. Vulnerable spots are passable.”
Mentioning that the responsibility to mitigate traffic congestion in Dhaka lies with the mayors, he said he was not responsible for traffic management in Dhaka.
The minister made the remarks on Tuesday when visiting Saidabad that connects Dhaka with the country’s southeastern districts.
The government has formed several vigilance teams to monitor and ensure uninterrupted vehicular movement on the roads during the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.
Bus owners, however, alleged that negligence of the authorities concerned, traffic police, vigilance teams are causing gridlock at the entry and exit points.
Exit points in Dhaka
Alhough it takes only five minutes to cross Abdullahpur intersection, Wasim, a Gazipur-bound passenger from Dhaka, said he had been stuck in traffic for two hours at the intersection on Tuesday.
The condition at Gabtoli-Aminbazar point is even worse. Hundreds of vehicles were seen stuck in the area, bringing traffic movement to a grinding a halt – a scenario prevalent also at Saidabad and Jatrabari.
Abdur Rajjak, joint commissioner (traffic, north) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, said: “We have already deployed additional traffic controllers for round-the-clock service at entry and exit points.
“We are keeping vigil on the points, but in some cases it is difficult for us to be strict because of the huge rush of holidaymakers.”
Drivers should comply with rules to help ensure smooth vehicular movement, he stressed.
Ferry services in trouble
Ferry services on Kathalia-Shimulia and Paturia-Daulatdia routes have been disrupted due to strong currents in the Padma River.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) operates around 36 ferries on the routes to carry thousands of vehicles across the Padma.
BIWTC officials said they were facing immense difficulties in operating their services due to the strong currents in the Padma. Each ferry is barely making 20 trips across the river every day whereas normally the ferries can make 30 trips.
