Letters to the Editor
Upgrading traffic management system
Friday, 1 September 2023
Dhaka city and traffic jam are synonymous. Traffic congestion has now become part of our everyday life. Commuters from several parts of the capital city face major difficulties in travelling due to heavy traffic. They often take to social media to share their disappointment. According to them, now it takes them 30-35 minutes just to move 200 metres in some places. The situation is getting worse day by day. The city's traffic woes have reached an unprecedented level. The chaotic traffic management in Dhaka city did not come to this pass overnight. Unplanned urbanisation, sidewalk encroachment, improper traffic management, an increase in the number of cars, unpaved roads and unfit vehicles are some of the factors that contribute to traffic congestion.
Traffic congestion wastes our precious time. Students face trouble to reach their educational institutions on time. Some of them even miss their examination for this. People cannot reach their workplaces timely. Patients on ambulance rarely reach the hospital emergency. Traffic congestion in the capital causes a loss of about $1.68 billion a year. Traffic jam in this city is so terrible that the average speed of motor vehicles on the roads of Dhaka city is only 6.4 kilometre per hour. The World Traffic Index-2019 lists Dhaka as the most traffic-congested city in the world.
The effects of traffic congestion can be felt physically and mentally. One is forced to spend a lot of time on the road for traffic congestion. Even small distances can take hours to cross. The long period of time spent in traffic is having a negative impact on people's mental health. Due to traffic congestion, both air and noise pollution are rising. We, however, believe that traffic jam in Dhaka city is still manageable. Alongside mega projects like metro-rail, we should concentrate on modernising our traffic management system. If we equip our traffic system with the latest technologies, we can eliminate traffic problem from this city to a great extent.
Jeba Fariha,
Student of Department of English,
Jagannath University, Dhaka,
farihajeba77@gmail.com