'Enforcement' of traffic rules

In this city, the flagrant violation of traffic rules has become the norm. Almost everyone from vehicle drivers to pedestrians remains oblivious to their obligation to abide by the basic traffic laws. None bothers. These law-flouting incidents are occurring right under the nose of the law enforcement agencies. Most of the time, they look the other way. From hazardous jaywalking, reckless driving to buses picking and dropping passengers on mid-road, scores of areas under traffic laws have become used to seeing a nearly perennial defiance. What perplex many city residents are the routine rituals of law enforcement. One fine morning, commuters find themselves helplessly stuck up. They cannot reach their destinations because certain roads have been made off-limits to certain buses or vehicles; or all buses on some routes have been made 'sitting' all of a sudden. It means the buses cannot operate their 'local' services. Untold sufferings for daily commuters ensue.

The catch is the so-called stringent laws are withdrawn in a few days. The roads and the vehicles are found back to their earlier unwieldy situation. These futile exercises in the name of law enforcement contribute a lot to the deterioration of Dhaka's traffic and commuting situation.

S.M. Rafiqul Huq

Lake Circus, Dhaka