Police, mall owners trade blame over city traffic glut

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FE Report
Main roads and connecting lanes around major shopping centres in the city remained clogged on Friday weekend for hours as people thronged in large number for Eid shopping.
Entire Pantha Path, Naya Paltan road, Mirpur road, Malibagh road, Subhan Bagh road, New Market area and Gulshan were seen packed with cars and auto-rickshaws causing traffic movement to a near halt.
Traffic police appeared helpless in controlling the endless flow of traffic. They blamed managements of shopping centres for failure to make extra parking arrangement to face the Eid rush.
"We are helpless," a traffic constable told the FE in front of Basundhara Shopping Complex.
He said built-in parking capacity of the shopping complex has proved too small for such occasion.
Standing vehicles on the road are actually waiting for their chance to park inside the parking place, but that is taking a long time, the on duty traffic police official said.
He also blamed drivers, who have haphazardly parked their cars on roadside for traffic congestion, making traffic control more difficult.
He said had the drivers parked their vehicles on road side in orderly manner the traffic movement would have been much easier.
Shopping centres in the capital although claim to have provided world-class shopping facilities they have failed to leave adequate space for parking facility.
"Don't they consider adequate parking facility a part of world class shopping facility?" one shopper questioned.
The traffic police department needs to take the matter more seriously and immediately as the situation will deteriorate further as Eid day approaches, he said.
According to metropolitan shop owners association, there are now 30 big shopping malls and 350 supermarkets in the capital.