Dhaka's road traffic

There is complete chaos, confusion and indiscipline, no law and order in public thoroughfares.

Whenever and wherever we travel by motor vehicles or rickshaw from one place to another, from Uttara to Motijheel Commercial Area, from Dhanmondi to Gandaria, from Basabo to Wari, from Jatrabari to Lalbagh, from Naya Paltan to Sadargat and so on and so forth, how many road crossings, road junctions and road traffic jams do we require to cover, come across or overcome? How many minutes or hours do we require to spend to reach our destination? What amount of our valuable time, energy and money we require to lose?

Have the DCC, Rajuk or any other authority ever thought about the matter and considered ways and means to handle the ever deteriorating situation?

Indeed, they have turned some roads into VIP roads, made some costly road dividers and road islands, introduced some one way road traffic, constructed some foot overbridges and demolished a few of those for ill planning and unsuitable sites, built expensive but useless underpasses at Gulistan, Gabtoli and Karwanbazar roads, and now a few giant flyovers are under construction.

Do all these developments and efforts ease and solve the mounting road traffic problems of Dhaka city? We do not see any light at the end of the tunnel.

Don't the authorities concerned need to be more sensible, pragmatic, economical and practical in their duties and responsibilities?

The authorities concerned may consider and implement the following measures to save the city dwellers from untold sufferings for an indefinite period:

Like VIP roads where plying of rickshaws is banned some narrow and crowded streets and lanes may be debarred from plying motor vehicles.

Haphazard and unruly parking of motor vehicles and rickshaws here and there may be checked, stopped and penalised.

Bus stop/Bus stand at the road junction of Sapla Chattor, Bangladesh Bank/Sonali Bank, Motijheel Commercial Area, Nawabpur/BB Avenue corner, Topkhana Road/Naya Paltan road corner, Malibagh Road Corner, Fulbaria/ Gulistan corner, Hatkhola, Ittefaq Office corners may be disallowed.

Hawkers and vendors may be evicted from roads and footpaths and they may be rehabilitated in multi-storied open space floors buildings.

Instead of foot overbridges small underpasses of only fifteen feet width may be constructed for the pedestrians.

Zebra crossing with speed-breakers may be established every 500 yards on every busy road, commercial area for the pedestrians.

Round the year, for a duration of one week, in batches of 60 (sixty) persons, 10 bus drivers, 10 truck drivers, 10 taxi. drivers, 10 bus conductors, 10 motor rickshaw drivers and 10 rickshaw drivers may be imparted training on road traffic rules and good behaviour jointly by the DMP and the DCC.

All roadside shop owners and workshops may be debarred from displaying, storing any article, goods, commodities and furniture on the public thoroughfares.

Complaints received form the members of public may be duly acknowledged and necessary action taken by the DCC and the DMP.