50 schools, colleges blamed for worsening traffic jams in city
Monday, 7 September 2009
Munima Sultana
At least 50 schools and colleges are responsible for Dhaka's worsening traffic gridlock as many of their pupils own cars and clog up the city's key roads for hours, police and officials said.
Traffic police and Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) officials said these educational institutes choke up traffic in almost all the big arteries in the city, leading to jams that last at least four hours a day.
The finding was revealed during a meeting between the DTCB and the city's top schools and colleges who have already been told to introduce bus service to ease the congestion.
Five schools and colleges have been blamed for bringing traffic to a near halt in the busy Mirpur road, while English medium schools that mushroomed in Dhanmondi block traffic in almost every avenue in the posh residential areas.
Others cause traffic jams that take hours to entangle in the main arteries at Uttara, Bailey Road in central Dhaka, Malibagh Road, Farmgate, Mohammadpur Road and Kakali crossing near the cantonment.
"Tens of thousands of pupils of these schools and colleges own private cars. During the drop-and-pick time, these cars and other motor vehicles cause several hours of traffic jam," a senior traffic police officer said.
"At the Bailey road alone, we have to put four hours of frantic efforts to ease congestion caused by the Viquarunnisa School," he said.
The existence of Siddheswari School and College and Maghbazar School aggravated the jam that spreads to a key crossing in Mouchak and well up to Shantinagar areas every day.
On the busy Maghbazar road, BIAM School has been identified as the culprit for the gridlock at the main transit point in central Dhaka.
"The traffic jam from Maghbazar to Bangla Motor was not viewed even five years ago but it has become a regular phenomenon after establishment of BIAM School," said Rawshan Ara Akhter, a resident of Eskaton area.
DTCB officials said a booming economy that has allowed increasing number of families to own cars is to blame for the city's deteriorating traffic jam.
"If an English medium school has 2,500 students and families of half of the students own cars, how can it be possible to tackle the traffic situation?" asked Abu Bakar Mohammad Shahjahan, head of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB).
He said due to lack of school bus services, parents have no other choice but to take the trouble of using cars and park those on the streets aggravating the situation.
Some top schools such Scholastica, Oxford International and Aga Khan have introduced their own transport service but they lack parking space in front of their institutions.
The government has recently asked the authorities of schools to arrange their own transport system or hire other private and public transport operators to pick and drop students.
During the meeting with DTCB, school authorities have categorically agreed to introduce school bus service but sought time to come up with a concrete plan.
The schools and colleges attended the meeting included Ideal School and College, Aga Khan School, Scholastica, SOS Harman Mainer College, Adamjee Cantonment, Holy Cross College, Rajuk Uttara Model College, Notre Dame College, Dhaka College and Dhaka City College.
"Many schools and colleges have already introduced their own transport system. But they cannot manage those even having fund for operating," said Dr SM Salauddin, second in chief of DTCB.
He said the DTCB has asked the school authorities to talk with private bus operators so that they can pick and drop students from strategic points to prevent usage of private cars.
At least 50 schools and colleges are responsible for Dhaka's worsening traffic gridlock as many of their pupils own cars and clog up the city's key roads for hours, police and officials said.
Traffic police and Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) officials said these educational institutes choke up traffic in almost all the big arteries in the city, leading to jams that last at least four hours a day.
The finding was revealed during a meeting between the DTCB and the city's top schools and colleges who have already been told to introduce bus service to ease the congestion.
Five schools and colleges have been blamed for bringing traffic to a near halt in the busy Mirpur road, while English medium schools that mushroomed in Dhanmondi block traffic in almost every avenue in the posh residential areas.
Others cause traffic jams that take hours to entangle in the main arteries at Uttara, Bailey Road in central Dhaka, Malibagh Road, Farmgate, Mohammadpur Road and Kakali crossing near the cantonment.
"Tens of thousands of pupils of these schools and colleges own private cars. During the drop-and-pick time, these cars and other motor vehicles cause several hours of traffic jam," a senior traffic police officer said.
"At the Bailey road alone, we have to put four hours of frantic efforts to ease congestion caused by the Viquarunnisa School," he said.
The existence of Siddheswari School and College and Maghbazar School aggravated the jam that spreads to a key crossing in Mouchak and well up to Shantinagar areas every day.
On the busy Maghbazar road, BIAM School has been identified as the culprit for the gridlock at the main transit point in central Dhaka.
"The traffic jam from Maghbazar to Bangla Motor was not viewed even five years ago but it has become a regular phenomenon after establishment of BIAM School," said Rawshan Ara Akhter, a resident of Eskaton area.
DTCB officials said a booming economy that has allowed increasing number of families to own cars is to blame for the city's deteriorating traffic jam.
"If an English medium school has 2,500 students and families of half of the students own cars, how can it be possible to tackle the traffic situation?" asked Abu Bakar Mohammad Shahjahan, head of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB).
He said due to lack of school bus services, parents have no other choice but to take the trouble of using cars and park those on the streets aggravating the situation.
Some top schools such Scholastica, Oxford International and Aga Khan have introduced their own transport service but they lack parking space in front of their institutions.
The government has recently asked the authorities of schools to arrange their own transport system or hire other private and public transport operators to pick and drop students.
During the meeting with DTCB, school authorities have categorically agreed to introduce school bus service but sought time to come up with a concrete plan.
The schools and colleges attended the meeting included Ideal School and College, Aga Khan School, Scholastica, SOS Harman Mainer College, Adamjee Cantonment, Holy Cross College, Rajuk Uttara Model College, Notre Dame College, Dhaka College and Dhaka City College.
"Many schools and colleges have already introduced their own transport system. But they cannot manage those even having fund for operating," said Dr SM Salauddin, second in chief of DTCB.
He said the DTCB has asked the school authorities to talk with private bus operators so that they can pick and drop students from strategic points to prevent usage of private cars.