The Jatrabari inter-section in Dhaka city was a nightmare for commuters not long ago. All vehicles at Saidabad were kept in waiting for their turn to move on.
But thanks to the government's initiative, the Mohammad Hanif Flyover, although built after long delay, has given a great relief to the commuters. The flyover is now making travel comfortable and less time-consuming. This writer now reaches his village home in only one hour and a half, in place of earlier three to four hours, by the Matlab Express that passes through the flyover.
But these days one, either coming out of the Secretariat or Motijheel private offices after day's hard work, is sadly reminded of the 'Jatrabari curse' settling on High Court-Matsya Bhaban-Shahbagh route.
The journey from Motijheel, Gulistan, Press Club, High Court, Matysa Bhaban and Shahbagh has become tedious as bus or car passengers remain stuck up for a long time due to halting of traffic flow at Shahbagh point by traffic police and sergeants manually.
The Shahbagh inter-section has four outlets-one leading towards Dhaka University TSC and Farmgate, the other to Kataban and Matsya Bhaban. But it is not understandable why traffic police takes so much time to clear the Motijheel-Matsya Bhaban-Shahbagh jam from 4 pm to 10 pm daily. While sitting on vehicles, one assumes that the cops are allowing vehicles to pass towards DU TSC or Farmgate one after another without reckoning that by that time, the gridlock has already begun from the High Court point to Dhaka Club.
If the cops could give 15 minutes to vehicles to pass through the inter-section towards the TSC, why can't they give similar 15 minutes' time to the cars stranded on Matsya Bhaban-Shahbagh route?
Efficient traffic sergeants should be stationed in such vital inter-sections as only they could help ease the terrible traffic situation. One has to understand the sentiments of tired government and private company officials, employees and workers as they do the day's hard work in offices. When they return, they naturally do not expect such a gridlock that irritates them.
If police cannot control traffic flow manually, why can't they force the vehicles to follow electronic traffic signals at Shahbagh? Rarely the President or the Prime Minister or the Ministers pass through the Shahbagh inter-section in those odd hours.
In the morning hours when there is a huge traffic gridlock towards Matsya Bhaban from Shahbagh, why can't traffic sergeants compel the vehicles to use the Shahbagh-TSC-Curzon Hall-High Court road to ease pressure on the usual route.
This could be done only for morning hours when people rush to be in time in their offices at the Secretariat or at Motijheel. After all, buses and vehicles are seen passing through that route the whole day.
All traffic sergeants are equipped with wireless sets that give them regular info on traffic situation on roads. When there is extreme pressure on Matsya Bhaban-Shahbagh route, can't they allow the stranded vehicles in 10s or 15s to pass through the inter-section?
Bangladeshis are known for their resilience. Some travellers, in view of alarming gridlock, are now seen daily disembarking the buses to walk by the side of the Suhrawardy Uddayan to Shahbagh and then catch other buses hawking for passengers either in front of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (MSMMU) or the National Museum.
Only efficient sergeants can stem the rot, not a flyover. There is no space for constructing a flyover here. The Suhrawardy Udyan or Ramna Park can never be damaged as these are 'lungs' of Dhaka city.
arjayster@gmail.com
