In February last year, Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy, at an event in New Delhi, said that he felt uncomfortable coming to Delhi because it is one of the cities where indiscipline is at its highest. The founder of a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting cited an example of traffic rule violation in the Indian national capital. If Murthy had been in Dhaka for once, he would probably have been stunned by the random violations of traffic rules on the roads and streets of Dhaka. Indeed, how and why a capital city of one of the fast-growing economies may be so chaotic, undisciplined and unruly?
Undoubtedly, the indiscipline on Dhaka's streets has already reached an almost unmanageable point. The law enforcement agency and traffic police appear helpless in maintaining the minimum basic discipline on roads, and almost everyone is has a free ride now. Motorbikes frequently drive on footpaths and on the wrong side of the streets, paddled rickshaws ply on any road, defying traffic restrictions, and battery-rickshaws compete with motor vehicles recklessly. The unregulated movement of these para-transits or micro-transports has worsened the already chaotic roads in Dhaka.
The largest and most densely populated city in the country, Dhaka suffers from terrible traffic problems, and sometimes, there appears to be no respite from them. Traffic congestion on roads and streets most of the day not only hampers productivity but also affects the mental and physical well-being of the residents. The reasons behind these issues are well known, but over the years, the authorities have not succeeded in tackling the problem. Many also allege that there was no coordinated move to do so despite repeated urges by the various stakeholders and commitments made by the policymakers. A lack of a strong political will is also responsible for the growing chaos on roads and streets, which will only prolong the traffic congestion all over the city.
The main reasons behind the terrible congestion on roads in Dhaka are multifaceted, including poor public transport, increased ownership of private cars and motorcycles, undisciplined traffic, poor road conditions, and illegal street occupancy. These issues have been allowed to grow over the years, making it increasingly difficult to establish optimal traffic discipline and reduce congestion. However, the introduction of an overhead metro rail service in Dhaka was a step in the right direction, and it's a sign of hope for the future. More long-term, sustainable measures like this are needed to make traffic movement efficient and to give the people of Dhaka a respite from traffic woes.
After the fall of Hasina's regime, an interim government is now in charge of the country. It will, however, be unwise to expect a sustainable solution to the traffic congestion right now from it. The problem is deep-rooted and requires a series of remedial measures that the interim government cannot take within its probable short time. However, the enforcement of relevant traffic laws, such as strictly curbing motorcycles on footpaths and on the wrong sides of roads, is a step in the right direction. The government also needs to regulate the number of battery-run rickshaws to bring order and control to the city's streets. Without these regulatory measures, battery-run rickshaws have been proliferating dangerously, adding to the congestion. Standardisation of these micro vehicles is necessary to control the movement and bring about a sense of order to Dhaka's streets.
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