The nuisance of Dhaka’s traffic no longer comes as a surprise to any of its residents. A large portion of the problem can be blamed on buses rarely maintaining traffic rules, creating dangerous situations for passengers and pedestrians, and the lack of a codified bus system.
It is disappointing to see, then, that although such a project to fix this system has been in the works for the past six years, nothing much has become of it as of yet. The bus route rationalization initiative, which means to launch a bus franchise system in Dhaka, is expected to solve many of the city’s traffic problems. But due to delays caused by the pandemic, and numerous bus owners refusing to cooperate with the proposed system, the plan has progressed very little. Even much of the groundwork remains incomplete as of now.
Such negligence and reluctance towards a plan that could potentially resolve one of the major issues which makes Dhaka one of the most unliveable cities in the world is unacceptable. There is no question or doubt that we need better discipline on the roads, with accidents still a frequent occurrence, in conjunction with proper maintenance of the system that is eventually put in place.
This is especially the case for bus companies, which shelter several repeat offenders of traffic violations. If the project is to work, bus owners and companies must be brought into line with whatever rules are put in place.
Plans and subsequent measures taken to fix Dhaka’s bus system, and in turn its traffic congestion, must be prioritized and streamlined as soon as possible.
