The terrible traffic jams
Wednesday, 19 August 2009
Abrar Ahmed
ASHRAF Khan, a student of Dhaka University, has to spend three hours on the way to reach the campus from his residence at Uttara.
But it took him only 25 minutes from his residence, midnight one night, he recalls.
A look at Dhaka during the busy hours of the day, from the top of a tall building, would show the city traffic standing still.
'All the roads are clogged. The cars are stuck bumper to bumper, the engines release a tremendous amount of heat, drivers honk incessantly, the old vehicles let go black smoke, vehicles change lanes at sweet will, says Ashraf.
'On most mornings he skips classes, being late. And the classes he attends, he cannot follow as he is too tired,' he says.
To reach Dhaka University from Uttara, it takes him about the same time one requires to reach Tangail from the capital city.
Commuting in Dhaka city has virtually become a nightmare. At rush hours, a distance of three to four kilometres can take an hour or more to reach. Gulistan, Motijheel, Old Dhaka, Maghbazar, Malibagh, Gulshan, Banani and Dhanmondi are difficult destinations for commuters.
One feels frustrated when on has to pass by Hotel Sonargaon crossing, the road in front of the Prime Minister's office, Maghbazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Khilgaon, Rampura, Elephant Road, Science Laboratory, Green Road, Jatrabari, Sayedabad and Mohakhali. Visiting the old city, mainly Dholaikhal, Postagola, Bangshal, Chowkbazar and Imamganj, would be a harrowing experience.
People miss important appointments and are late for work. Children and the old fall sick spending long hours on the way with the air heavy with smoke. Ambulances, caught up in traffic jams, desperately try to find the way out to save a dying patient.
The heat released by vehicles increases the city temperature. Exposure to pollution during traffic jams, increases health risks for all, say experts. The traffic jams cost the economy heavily annually, according to official estimates.
Uncoordinated road digging by different utilities only makes things worse.
The city's numerous railway crossings slow down traffic as does an influx of rickshaws with the advent of the Ramadan.
About 80 trains which enter and leave the city, keep traffic standing for six hours together at each level crossing everyday. The level crossings at Maghbazar, Mohakhali, Staff road, Karwan Bazar and other busy points take a heavy toll on the time and energy of people in each working day.
According to the metropolitan traffic police control, against 76,000 valid licences issued more than 600,000 rickshaws ply in the city. Additional 100,000 rickshaws are brought to the city during Ramadan and Eid, by rural pullers keen on extra income, says a senior traffic official.
Every year 30,000 new vehicles are registered. Officially 160,000 registered motorised vehicles including 4,800 buses ply in the city. But the number of unauthorised vehicles are much more.
Last year, the number of unregistered vehicles increased by 60,000 and nearly 50,000 of them in Dhaka alone, says Sayedur.
Unplanned ticket counters have resulted in buses occupying road space blocking traffic.
Buses stop almost everywhere to pick up and drop passengers creating traffic obstructions. And traffic police personnel do nothing to stop this. Allegations are widespread about palm-greasing in doing the job in favour of bus drivers and conductors.
Pedestrians avoid foot-over bridges and underpasses, which remain dark because of billboards. Unhygienic passageways, steep stairs and hawkers make it difficult to use the foot bridges, say pedestrians who cross the streets, blocking traffic and risking their lives.
Many compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling stations and petrol pumps, located close to busy intersections disturb traffic movement. The requirement to set up refuelling stations with space to accommodate vehicles inside has been overlooked.
The government is to blame for much of the chaos. It approves universities, commercial establishments, garment factories, schools, clinics and wholesale kitchen markets at busy areas or close to residential localities to create chaos the city suffers.
Posh shopping malls cause traffic jams on important city roads. Panthapath and Sonargaon intersections speak of it.
Shoppers love to park on the street keeping mall parking lots vacant. They seem to prefer having shopping centres without the bother of paying for tickets going to the basement to park or looking for the driver.
Even the meagre fine of Tk 250 for violation of traffic signal or Tk 200 for illegal parking is not charged.
Tea-stalls and make-shift shops make it difficult for the pedestrians to use the pavement near the shopping malls.
No new commercial centres should be allowed in the already congested city. High-rise commercial structures should be allowed outside the city limits, says professor Nurul Islam Nazem of the Centre for Urban Studies.
The traffic congestion, he says, was discouraging international investors. A foreign business group refused to set up their factory at Ishwardi, having gas supply and good communication with Dhaka, despite his advice, just because they were not sure the time they have to spend on the way due to traffic jams.
ASHRAF Khan, a student of Dhaka University, has to spend three hours on the way to reach the campus from his residence at Uttara.
But it took him only 25 minutes from his residence, midnight one night, he recalls.
A look at Dhaka during the busy hours of the day, from the top of a tall building, would show the city traffic standing still.
'All the roads are clogged. The cars are stuck bumper to bumper, the engines release a tremendous amount of heat, drivers honk incessantly, the old vehicles let go black smoke, vehicles change lanes at sweet will, says Ashraf.
'On most mornings he skips classes, being late. And the classes he attends, he cannot follow as he is too tired,' he says.
To reach Dhaka University from Uttara, it takes him about the same time one requires to reach Tangail from the capital city.
Commuting in Dhaka city has virtually become a nightmare. At rush hours, a distance of three to four kilometres can take an hour or more to reach. Gulistan, Motijheel, Old Dhaka, Maghbazar, Malibagh, Gulshan, Banani and Dhanmondi are difficult destinations for commuters.
One feels frustrated when on has to pass by Hotel Sonargaon crossing, the road in front of the Prime Minister's office, Maghbazar, Mouchak, Malibagh, Khilgaon, Rampura, Elephant Road, Science Laboratory, Green Road, Jatrabari, Sayedabad and Mohakhali. Visiting the old city, mainly Dholaikhal, Postagola, Bangshal, Chowkbazar and Imamganj, would be a harrowing experience.
People miss important appointments and are late for work. Children and the old fall sick spending long hours on the way with the air heavy with smoke. Ambulances, caught up in traffic jams, desperately try to find the way out to save a dying patient.
The heat released by vehicles increases the city temperature. Exposure to pollution during traffic jams, increases health risks for all, say experts. The traffic jams cost the economy heavily annually, according to official estimates.
Uncoordinated road digging by different utilities only makes things worse.
The city's numerous railway crossings slow down traffic as does an influx of rickshaws with the advent of the Ramadan.
About 80 trains which enter and leave the city, keep traffic standing for six hours together at each level crossing everyday. The level crossings at Maghbazar, Mohakhali, Staff road, Karwan Bazar and other busy points take a heavy toll on the time and energy of people in each working day.
According to the metropolitan traffic police control, against 76,000 valid licences issued more than 600,000 rickshaws ply in the city. Additional 100,000 rickshaws are brought to the city during Ramadan and Eid, by rural pullers keen on extra income, says a senior traffic official.
Every year 30,000 new vehicles are registered. Officially 160,000 registered motorised vehicles including 4,800 buses ply in the city. But the number of unauthorised vehicles are much more.
Last year, the number of unregistered vehicles increased by 60,000 and nearly 50,000 of them in Dhaka alone, says Sayedur.
Unplanned ticket counters have resulted in buses occupying road space blocking traffic.
Buses stop almost everywhere to pick up and drop passengers creating traffic obstructions. And traffic police personnel do nothing to stop this. Allegations are widespread about palm-greasing in doing the job in favour of bus drivers and conductors.
Pedestrians avoid foot-over bridges and underpasses, which remain dark because of billboards. Unhygienic passageways, steep stairs and hawkers make it difficult to use the foot bridges, say pedestrians who cross the streets, blocking traffic and risking their lives.
Many compressed natural gas (CNG) refuelling stations and petrol pumps, located close to busy intersections disturb traffic movement. The requirement to set up refuelling stations with space to accommodate vehicles inside has been overlooked.
The government is to blame for much of the chaos. It approves universities, commercial establishments, garment factories, schools, clinics and wholesale kitchen markets at busy areas or close to residential localities to create chaos the city suffers.
Posh shopping malls cause traffic jams on important city roads. Panthapath and Sonargaon intersections speak of it.
Shoppers love to park on the street keeping mall parking lots vacant. They seem to prefer having shopping centres without the bother of paying for tickets going to the basement to park or looking for the driver.
Even the meagre fine of Tk 250 for violation of traffic signal or Tk 200 for illegal parking is not charged.
Tea-stalls and make-shift shops make it difficult for the pedestrians to use the pavement near the shopping malls.
No new commercial centres should be allowed in the already congested city. High-rise commercial structures should be allowed outside the city limits, says professor Nurul Islam Nazem of the Centre for Urban Studies.
The traffic congestion, he says, was discouraging international investors. A foreign business group refused to set up their factory at Ishwardi, having gas supply and good communication with Dhaka, despite his advice, just because they were not sure the time they have to spend on the way due to traffic jams.