Lax traffic policing and agonising traffic jams
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Saquib Mustafa
THE demand from all sections of the people that the condition of Dhaka's traffic movement must improve has been a very long-standing one. But in response to this very extensively and keenly felt demand, actual accomplishments in this area have been very little or nothing, writes Abrar Ahmed. Government after government have organised all kinds of talking shops to produce an impression as if effective addressing of the problem was imminent. But nothing of substance was seen to be achieved.
The people of the city expected much from the immediate past caretaker government. They hoped that the caretakers with extraordinary powers in their hands and claiming the services of technocrats in running the country, plus their declared resolve to address one of the worst problems of Dhaka's residents, would leave behind traffic movement conditions in a far better shape. That they could not or did not do this, is obvious.
It takes several hours these days for a commuter to reach a destination in the city that should be normally reached within half an hour or so. The bewildered commuters, therefore, have this question in mind. There is no denying that traffic-related problems such as insufficiency of road space, lack of infrastructure to facilitate movement, increased number of vehicles, etc., have all compounded over the years. But certainly such problems have not aggravated all of a sudden or within a short period of time. If traffic movement remained somewhat better a few months ago, then what has happened during the recent months to make the situation so bad?
Keen observers of the traffic mess are unanimous in their view that the sudden deterioration in traffic movement conditions is related to the older problems. But these problems would remain limited and tolerable if the traffic policemen did their duties with the same kind of seriousness like it was for sometime under the caretaker government. And now there is a carefree attitude among the traffic policemen. Traditionally lethargic and corrupt, the traffic wing of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) seems to be even more uncaring now, thinking that the government will be least bothered about the problems thereof. They possibly sense the change as offering them the opportunity to be not accountable as well as giving them the liberty to take their duties with less anxiety than it would be necessary had they been rigorously monitored and asked to account for dereliction of duty.
Thus, the press reported in recent times about traffic policemen posted at busy points doing nothing or relaxing or sipping soft drinks as traffic gridlocks developed before their very gaze. In some areas, where traffic policemen were noted to be on regular duty from early to the late hours, these places seem to be least served these days from either non-arrival of traffic policemen there or their coming irregularly. The same kind of a relaxed attitude is seen in regulating arbitrary parking of cars and ensuring that buses stop only at their designated points and only for the allowed few minutes. Some heavy duty vehicles were ordered to remain off the road for a part of the day to keep the traffic system free flowing. Slow-moving rickshaws were also ordered not to ply on the main roads in many places. But these restrictions and ban are being overlooked in many places. Petty bribing is alleged to be the cause for this.
Clearly, no one expects a dramatic overnight transformation for the better in the state of the city's traffic management. What the people expect for the time being is only a reasonable improvement through traffic policemen being motivated and sternly directed to do their job properly.
THE demand from all sections of the people that the condition of Dhaka's traffic movement must improve has been a very long-standing one. But in response to this very extensively and keenly felt demand, actual accomplishments in this area have been very little or nothing, writes Abrar Ahmed. Government after government have organised all kinds of talking shops to produce an impression as if effective addressing of the problem was imminent. But nothing of substance was seen to be achieved.
The people of the city expected much from the immediate past caretaker government. They hoped that the caretakers with extraordinary powers in their hands and claiming the services of technocrats in running the country, plus their declared resolve to address one of the worst problems of Dhaka's residents, would leave behind traffic movement conditions in a far better shape. That they could not or did not do this, is obvious.
It takes several hours these days for a commuter to reach a destination in the city that should be normally reached within half an hour or so. The bewildered commuters, therefore, have this question in mind. There is no denying that traffic-related problems such as insufficiency of road space, lack of infrastructure to facilitate movement, increased number of vehicles, etc., have all compounded over the years. But certainly such problems have not aggravated all of a sudden or within a short period of time. If traffic movement remained somewhat better a few months ago, then what has happened during the recent months to make the situation so bad?
Keen observers of the traffic mess are unanimous in their view that the sudden deterioration in traffic movement conditions is related to the older problems. But these problems would remain limited and tolerable if the traffic policemen did their duties with the same kind of seriousness like it was for sometime under the caretaker government. And now there is a carefree attitude among the traffic policemen. Traditionally lethargic and corrupt, the traffic wing of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) seems to be even more uncaring now, thinking that the government will be least bothered about the problems thereof. They possibly sense the change as offering them the opportunity to be not accountable as well as giving them the liberty to take their duties with less anxiety than it would be necessary had they been rigorously monitored and asked to account for dereliction of duty.
Thus, the press reported in recent times about traffic policemen posted at busy points doing nothing or relaxing or sipping soft drinks as traffic gridlocks developed before their very gaze. In some areas, where traffic policemen were noted to be on regular duty from early to the late hours, these places seem to be least served these days from either non-arrival of traffic policemen there or their coming irregularly. The same kind of a relaxed attitude is seen in regulating arbitrary parking of cars and ensuring that buses stop only at their designated points and only for the allowed few minutes. Some heavy duty vehicles were ordered to remain off the road for a part of the day to keep the traffic system free flowing. Slow-moving rickshaws were also ordered not to ply on the main roads in many places. But these restrictions and ban are being overlooked in many places. Petty bribing is alleged to be the cause for this.
Clearly, no one expects a dramatic overnight transformation for the better in the state of the city's traffic management. What the people expect for the time being is only a reasonable improvement through traffic policemen being motivated and sternly directed to do their job properly.