Experts for mass transport to end traffic chaos during Ramadan
Sunday, 25 July 2010
Munima Sultana
The lack of steps to stem the tide of rural migrants and non-motor vehicles is feared to worsen the city's traffic chaos during the Ramadan and experts say mass transport could ameliorate the situation.
They say the government must encourage the arrival of new public transports into the capital at a time when the clampdown older and rickety vehicles off the streets has led to the shortage of vehicles, thus mounting the people's sufferings.
Transport experts also see the drive against "unsafe" vehicles as a timely step but warn the situation will worsen if aged automobiles make their "proud" way back to the streets, like in the past.
Law enforcement agencies have continued drive against "unfit" vehicles, including bus, mini-bus, truck and covered van, since July 15 aimed at improving the traffic situation and also preventing road accidents.
Officials said the drive, intended to phase out 20-year-old buses and minibuses, and 25-year-old trucks from the city, is being carried out by 16 mobile courts, each headed by an executive magistrate.
Every year, transport experts say, thousands of people and scores of non-motorised vehicles make their way into the capital for brisk business as they seek to cash in on Eid-ul-Fitr, the Muslim's.
They also say traffic congestion turned worse during the last year's Eid shopping and the government opted for closure of educational institutions to improve the situation.
"I don't think closure of educational institutions is a solution. What the government should do is to improve supervision," said Dr. Shamsul Haque, a director with Accident Research Institute.
But transport officials expressed the hope that this year traffic chaos would be less compared to the last year, thanks to the increased vigilance by mobile teams.
Bangladesh Roads Transport Corporation (BRTC) has run over 300 buses including newly imported 92 CNG buses on different routes, which officials say would ease pressure on the demand.
Dr. Haque said the traffic congestion becomes acute during the month of Ramadan when well-off people rush to the capital for Eid shopping.
But he said no remedial measures were taken in the past to cut traffic snarl during this time.
He suggested beefing up vigilance on the parking spaces and footpaths to check unauthorised parking and encroachment on the pedestrians' path by vendors.
Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University Dr. Ainun Nishat said the government must introduce a mass transport system immediately to free the city dwellers from the perennial traffic snarl.
"It's not possible to ease the traffic jam by merely halting the movement of vehicles in the streets," he told a recent seminar in the city.
The Roads & Highways Department has estimated that traffic congestion costs Dhaka about US$3.0 billion a year. It also causes up to 3.20 million business hours to be lost every day, which is about an hour per working person.
Dr. Nishat, an environmental expert, laid stress on modernising the transport infrastructure to make the mega city livable.
Dhaka is the fastest-growing mega city in the world and also the world's 11th largest city.
Former communications secretary Syed Rezaul Hayat said the coordination between the home and communication ministries is a must to solve the traffic congestion within the capital, populated by an estimated 13 million urbanites.
But people who closely follow the crackdown say the drive is delivering slow results as only 20 vehicles including one truck and two buses have so far been seized by the law enforcement agencies.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) said it has identified 1,446 buses, 8,125 trucks and 2,365 minibuses as unfit to ply on the street.
Additional district magistrate Amitabh Sarker, who is coordinating the 16 mobile courts, told a private news agency that these courts failed to seize the "expected number of vehicles as the owners kept those off the streets to escaper the legal action."
The lack of steps to stem the tide of rural migrants and non-motor vehicles is feared to worsen the city's traffic chaos during the Ramadan and experts say mass transport could ameliorate the situation.
They say the government must encourage the arrival of new public transports into the capital at a time when the clampdown older and rickety vehicles off the streets has led to the shortage of vehicles, thus mounting the people's sufferings.
Transport experts also see the drive against "unsafe" vehicles as a timely step but warn the situation will worsen if aged automobiles make their "proud" way back to the streets, like in the past.
Law enforcement agencies have continued drive against "unfit" vehicles, including bus, mini-bus, truck and covered van, since July 15 aimed at improving the traffic situation and also preventing road accidents.
Officials said the drive, intended to phase out 20-year-old buses and minibuses, and 25-year-old trucks from the city, is being carried out by 16 mobile courts, each headed by an executive magistrate.
Every year, transport experts say, thousands of people and scores of non-motorised vehicles make their way into the capital for brisk business as they seek to cash in on Eid-ul-Fitr, the Muslim's.
They also say traffic congestion turned worse during the last year's Eid shopping and the government opted for closure of educational institutions to improve the situation.
"I don't think closure of educational institutions is a solution. What the government should do is to improve supervision," said Dr. Shamsul Haque, a director with Accident Research Institute.
But transport officials expressed the hope that this year traffic chaos would be less compared to the last year, thanks to the increased vigilance by mobile teams.
Bangladesh Roads Transport Corporation (BRTC) has run over 300 buses including newly imported 92 CNG buses on different routes, which officials say would ease pressure on the demand.
Dr. Haque said the traffic congestion becomes acute during the month of Ramadan when well-off people rush to the capital for Eid shopping.
But he said no remedial measures were taken in the past to cut traffic snarl during this time.
He suggested beefing up vigilance on the parking spaces and footpaths to check unauthorised parking and encroachment on the pedestrians' path by vendors.
Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University Dr. Ainun Nishat said the government must introduce a mass transport system immediately to free the city dwellers from the perennial traffic snarl.
"It's not possible to ease the traffic jam by merely halting the movement of vehicles in the streets," he told a recent seminar in the city.
The Roads & Highways Department has estimated that traffic congestion costs Dhaka about US$3.0 billion a year. It also causes up to 3.20 million business hours to be lost every day, which is about an hour per working person.
Dr. Nishat, an environmental expert, laid stress on modernising the transport infrastructure to make the mega city livable.
Dhaka is the fastest-growing mega city in the world and also the world's 11th largest city.
Former communications secretary Syed Rezaul Hayat said the coordination between the home and communication ministries is a must to solve the traffic congestion within the capital, populated by an estimated 13 million urbanites.
But people who closely follow the crackdown say the drive is delivering slow results as only 20 vehicles including one truck and two buses have so far been seized by the law enforcement agencies.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) said it has identified 1,446 buses, 8,125 trucks and 2,365 minibuses as unfit to ply on the street.
Additional district magistrate Amitabh Sarker, who is coordinating the 16 mobile courts, told a private news agency that these courts failed to seize the "expected number of vehicles as the owners kept those off the streets to escaper the legal action."