Accidents overshadow beauty of Hatirjheel

The number of casualties inroad accident casualties has recently increased alarmingly in the Hatirjheel area. An online survey was carried out among road users at Hatirjheel to find out the traffic issues that are causing the road mishap casualties there. About 36 per cent of the respondents believe that travelling in the wrong direction/opposite direction by all kinds of vehicles is the main traffic issue at Hatirjheel. A major portion of the road is one-way. The road basically works as a roundabout where the jheel (lake) is the circle in the middle. To save time and fuel by avoiding going around the lake, many road users choose to travel in the wrong direction risking their lives and lives of others. This greatly hampers the traffic flow and increases the chance of road accidents, especially head-on collisions.

Another 16 per cent of the respondents have mentioned that the presence of rickshaws is another issue in this area. Rickshaws are banned in the area but its presence often surprises other road users who have to slow down suddenly to avoid collision with them.  

Of the respondents, about 16 per cent believe that reckless driving is another cause of concern at Hatirjheel. Since the traffic here is lower than most other areas of the capital, drivers use this place to speed up and drive recklessly to make up for the lost time in traffic in other areas.

Motorcycle racing was identified by 10 per cent of the respondents as another traffic issue there. The motorcyclists performing stunt and racing are mostly young and have little consideration for safety of others and also for themselves. They do their activity on the road disregarding through traffic movement.

Some of the other traffic issues that were identified include - pedestrians walking on the road rather than the sidewalk, illegal parking on the road and bicycle stunt.

The Hatirjheel Project is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious, glamorous and attractive projects of recent times. It is also a symbol of modern architecture. It did not only improve the access and mobility in the nearby area but also provided a faster alternative for many other routes. In addition, it gave the residents of the capital a new place to relax with their family members and friends. However, the place may lose its attractiveness if the road safety situation in the area keeps on faltering. The authority may consider taking necessary measures such as strictly enforcing traffic rules to address the traffic issues that have been identified by road users at Hatirjheel, specially movement of traffic in the wrong direction, movement of rickshaw and reckless driving.

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