Unbearable traffic jams during Ramadan
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
ACCORDING to reports, thousands of commuters got caught in gridlocks for hours on the roads on Monday in too many places of Dhaka city knowing not when their agonies would end. Some commuters stated in great exasperation that they had to move at a snail's pace for hours to cover only about one kilometer distance. The commuters -- many of whom were fasting -- felt less than their normal stamina on that day.
The traffic department is supposed to be specially caring to provide efficient services during Ramadan when people are found to have low energy and less patience. Thus, none can be blamed for coming to his or her wits' end after being so harassed by the awful jams recently. And people are found murmuring whether this is the harbinger which shows what lies in store for them during the rest of the Ramadan month.
Close observers of the traffic mess say that the latest jams are the outcome of a complete breakdown in traffic policing. Thousands of people descend on Dhaka to pull rickshaws during Ramadan because this is the only thing they can do and earn some fast money for spending with their families in the villages. But on other years, the hordes of additional rickshaws and their pullers were sought to be restricted. But this year, all restrictions appear to have been withdrawn. Rickshaws were seen in the last couple of days on roads where rickshaw movements are strictly prohibited. Similarly, buses and trucks used to be restricted from moving on certain roads or their hours of movement in them were limited. But traffic policemen appear now to be turning a blind eye to these restrictions. The sudden relaxations are all contributing to the creation of jams and the traffic policemen are allowing these things because they get payoffs from the offenders for their cooperation.
The entire traffic department in Dhaka city needs a severe shake-up from end to end. They are the traffic regulators but they are seen to be the creators of traffic jams. Automatic signaling lights were set up at huge costs. But traffic policemen are found deliberately ignoring the signaling lights and signaling with their hands and keeping traffic movements irrationally halted for long periods which is one of the main reasons for the formation of traffic jams.
It is not possible to point out all the lapses of traffic policemen within the confines of this letter. Only it is stressed here that something must be done, urgently, to make this department work because the sufferings of the commuters have turned unbearable indeed.
Md Ibrahim
Green Road, Dhaka
The traffic department is supposed to be specially caring to provide efficient services during Ramadan when people are found to have low energy and less patience. Thus, none can be blamed for coming to his or her wits' end after being so harassed by the awful jams recently. And people are found murmuring whether this is the harbinger which shows what lies in store for them during the rest of the Ramadan month.
Close observers of the traffic mess say that the latest jams are the outcome of a complete breakdown in traffic policing. Thousands of people descend on Dhaka to pull rickshaws during Ramadan because this is the only thing they can do and earn some fast money for spending with their families in the villages. But on other years, the hordes of additional rickshaws and their pullers were sought to be restricted. But this year, all restrictions appear to have been withdrawn. Rickshaws were seen in the last couple of days on roads where rickshaw movements are strictly prohibited. Similarly, buses and trucks used to be restricted from moving on certain roads or their hours of movement in them were limited. But traffic policemen appear now to be turning a blind eye to these restrictions. The sudden relaxations are all contributing to the creation of jams and the traffic policemen are allowing these things because they get payoffs from the offenders for their cooperation.
The entire traffic department in Dhaka city needs a severe shake-up from end to end. They are the traffic regulators but they are seen to be the creators of traffic jams. Automatic signaling lights were set up at huge costs. But traffic policemen are found deliberately ignoring the signaling lights and signaling with their hands and keeping traffic movements irrationally halted for long periods which is one of the main reasons for the formation of traffic jams.
It is not possible to point out all the lapses of traffic policemen within the confines of this letter. Only it is stressed here that something must be done, urgently, to make this department work because the sufferings of the commuters have turned unbearable indeed.
Md Ibrahim
Green Road, Dhaka