Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Md Mainul Hasan has said battery-operated autorickshaws must not be allowed on major roads in order to maintain order in the city's traffic system.
He said this on Thursday night during a meeting with the Traffic Division officers at the DMP Headquarters regarding traffic management in the Dhaka metropolitan area.
The DMP commissioner also called for coordination between the DMP Crime and Traffic Divisions to ensure better traffic management.
He said that for Dhaka’s population of over 20 million, there are only 4,000 traffic police officers working tirelessly at 339 points in the city.
He highlighted that no other capital city in the world operates with a manual traffic system; only in Bangladesh is traffic still manually controlled, making the job extremely difficult for the city's traffic police.
He also stressed the need to bring those who illegally occupy sidewalks and streets by placing goods from their shops under legal accountability.
The DMP Crime Division has been instructed to take immediate action against illegal occupiers.
The commissioner urged traffic officers to take appropriate legal action against vehicles operating unlawfully or violating regulations to prevent accidents and restore order on the city's roads.
Regarding strengthening the community policing system, the DMP commissioner said community policing plays a crucial role in assisting traffic police to manage traffic at various points across the city, which can further reduce public suffering.
He expressed hope that enhancing the community policing system would lead to improved traffic order.
The DMP commissioner concluded by urging all Traffic Division personnel to remain vigilant and fulfil their responsibilities, emphasizing that they must abide by the law themselves before enforcing it on others.
