For the last few days, Dhaka’s streets have been almost impossible to manoeuvre due to severe traffic gridlock. Commuters are saying haphazard and illegal parking, especially in the city’s major shopping districts, is the cause of this problem.
The traffic police admits that it is difficult to enforce the parking law and claims drivers have little knowledge about the law.
Ishita, a commuter, was outraged after being stuck in a traffic jam in front of the Mouchak market for over an hour.
“Parked cars have blocked half of the road. It’s taking so long to pass this small distance,” she said, pointing at the slapdash parking of numerous cars in front of the markets surrounding the narrow Mouchak intersection.
“I have to get home early to make iftar for my family,” an exasperated Ishita said.
The traffic problem has been growing since the first day of Ramadan. Ahead of Eid, a large number of people are shopping every day at the capital’s shopping malls and markets.
Randomly parked cars in front of the Dhanmondi Hawkers market, Badruddoja Super Market, Gausia, Chadni Chawk and New Market, block most of the road from Science Lab intersection to Nilkhet intersection. The traffic in front of Rajlaxmi and Mouchak markets is in a similar condition most of the day.
Car drivers leave their vehicles on the roads at their without any regard under the very nose of the authorities.
Teams led by traffic sergeants randomly visit different areas to punish the lawbreakers. “It is quite hard to catch everyone who breaks parking laws,” says Mir Rezaul Alam, joint commissioner (traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
The random parking without any regard to traffic problems is most common in the city’s Baily Road, Motijhil, Dhanmondi, Malibagh, Mohakhali and Banani areas.
Regarding the law, Joint Commissioner Alam said, “According to Motor Vehicle Ordinance 1983, vehicles are permitted to park on the road only where DCC has put up a parking sign. Parking a vehicle anywhere other than those areas is illegal.”
Near the New Market, Dhaka City Corporation has a parking lot. Even so, vehicles are seen parked randomly on the road.
When asked about why they do not put their cars in the parking lots of shopping malls, Ibrahim – a driver – said the task was time consuming. “It takes a long time to get the car out from the parking bay,” he told this correspondent.
Mohammad Sirajul Islam, Chief Town Planner of Urban Planning Department under Dhaka South City Corporation, identified another scenario where random parking takes place.
“Building owners in some areas put up “No parking” signboards at their own cost on the roadsides, but remove them when they need to park their own cars. As a consequence it causes traffic jam,” he said.
None of these signboards are legally set up by the city corporation, he added.
Asked about how to solve the illegal parking problem occupying the busy thoroughfares of the city, he said it was necessary to reduce dependency on private cars.
“The government can introduce metro rail and monorail services,” he added.
Joint Commissioner Alam says lack of knowledge is one of the reasons behind random parking. “Drivers have little knowledge about the law,” he said.
“Some basic laws should be taught at schools,” he suggested.
Recently Dhaka City Corporation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) held a joint meeting to find a solution to parking problems. At the meeting, DCC proposed a parking master plan and sought DTCA help to fund the project.
In this regard, Engineer ATM Helaluddin Nagari, advisor to DTCA, said, “Earlier DCC had carried out many project successfully and they will also implement this plan successfully at their own fund.”
Traffic Engineer of DTCA Md. Anisur Rahman said, “It was not an official proposal at all.
