Dhaka city residents are suffering due to severe mismanagement of traffic and traffic congestion ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals of the Muslims, as traffic rules are being frequently flouted amid lax monitoring by the authorities.
The chaotic situation of traffic in the capital Dhaka has remained unchanged over the years despite the issuance of a number of directives by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police to improve the city traffic system.
During Eid, more than one crore people leave the Dhaka city and over 30 lakh people enter the city from other places, according to police.
Along with the passengers鈥� movement, Eid-centric shopping also makes the situation worse.
Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated in the country either on March 31 or April 1 subject to the sighting of the Shawwal moon.
On the last working day on Thursday before a nine- day Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, traffic congestion was seen in some areas, including Gulistan, Saidabad, Jahangirgate and Uttara, in the capital amid the home-goers鈥� rush to leave Dhaka to celebrate the festival with their near and dear ones.
Thursday morning the presence of traffic police was seen low on roads in some areas, including Gulistan.
On September 4, 2018, the DMP announced some directives in response to a nine-day countrywide student protests demanding road safety in July same year.
In those rules, the DMP declared city roads off-limits to human haulers, set up designated stoppages for city buses, asked city buses to keep doors shut while running, display bus staff鈥檚 photos and mobile number in the buses and carry updated documents, and asked owners to appoint drivers and assistants on a salary basis.
Besides, for motorcyclists a 鈥榥o helmet no fuel鈥� rule and the prohibition of using wrong lanes and driving on footpaths were issued.
Amid a surge in the number of battery-run rickshaws in the capital, police are using signboards to bar both paddle-run and battery-run rickshaws on main roads.
In reality all types of road users 鈥� city service buses, human haulers, motorcycles and pedestrians 鈥� are regularly violating the rules.
The staff members of the city service buses are seen boarding and letting passengers descend at any places they want to 鈥� even on the flyovers, BRT lanes 鈥� flouting the designated stoppages, causing traffic congestion.
The buses 鈥� even from same companies 鈥� compete recklessly on the city roads, which often leads to fatal road accidents.
On Thursday, intercity buses were seen parked on busy roads in areas, including Mohakhali, Gabtoli and Saidabad, narrowing the roads.
The battery-run rickshaws are now everywhere in the city from the main road to the feeder roads while traffic police were seen standing idle in this regard on Thursday.
Reckless driving by the motorcyclists without wearing helmets, driving on footpaths and wrong lanes is also a regular scenario in the city.
Jaywalking and talking on phones during driving are also a common scenario on the city roads.
The traffic situation has worsened after the August 2024 political changeover.
The DMP on March 23 issued a public release on special measures, including controlling vehicular movement, taken keeping Eid in mind.
The measures include movement of trucks, covered vans and lorries would remain closed between March 25 and March 28 and three days after Eid, there would be one-way communication in Abuldullahpur and Dhour and allowing only outgoing vehicles on the Bus Rapid Transit in Gazipur to the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Car owners illegally park the vehicles on a footpath, narrowing the walking space for the pedestrians, at Dhanmondi 27 in Dhaka on Saturday. 鈥� 抖阴精品 photo
DMP additional commissioner (traffic) Md Sarwar told 抖阴精品 that against the backdrop of a huge volume of traffic and violation of rules, they lacked workforce.
Since October past year traffic police have been again filing cases after the political changeover and currently they are filing most of the cases against the motorcyclists, he said.
鈥楧ifferent development works, including the construction of the Mass Rapid Transit Line 1, is also causing traffic congestion,鈥� the police officer said.
He also mentioned that ahead of Eid they were conducting drive against vehicles without fitness and discussing with the authorities of toll plazas on the Jatrabari鈥揋ulistan Flyover (previously Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover) and Dhaka Elevated Expressway for keeping the flow of traffic normal during Eid time journeys.聽
As per the Sunday鈥檚 DMP press release, from March 25 the DMP was scheduled to control some roads.
Dhaka-Ashulia highway鈥檚 Abdullahpur area at Uttara to Dhour Bridge via Kamarpara stretch will only be used to leave Dhaka.
On this road, the vehicles which would want to enter Dhaka from Ashulia, Dhour, Kamarpara, Abdullahpur points will be allowed to enter Dhaka from Gabtoli or other points by Mirpur Beribadh road via Ashulia, Dhour and Panchabati.
Both lanes of the Bus Rapid Transit on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway will be used as one-way for allowing the vehicles to leave Dhaka by Joydebpur crossing. When the volume of traffic will increase no vehicles towards Dhaka by the lane will be allowed.
Other lanes on the highway will be used as usual.
From March 25, other vehicles without emergencies are asked to avoid eight roads and use alternative roads.
The eight roads are Dhaka-Mymensingh national highway (airport to Abdullahpur), Dhaka-Chattogram national highway (Jatrabari to Signboard), Purbachal expressway (300 Feet road), Dhaka-Aricha national highway (Mipur road: Shymoli to Gabtoli), Dhaka-Keraniganj road (Phulbaria to Tantibazar to Babu Bazar Bridge, Dhaka-Mawa national highway (Jatrabari to Buriganga Bridge), Mohammadpur Basila crossing to Bosila Bridge road and Abdullahpur to Dhour Bridge road.聽聽聽聽
