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Diesel-run vehicles to be phased out

8 VIP roads to become off-limits to rickshaws

Staff Correspondent
A high-powered meeting on easing the cityts traffic jam yesterday decided to take a number of steps, including phasing out diesel-engine vehicles, prohibiting rickshaws on eight specific thoroughfares and putting an end to haphazard roadsideparking.
The inter-ministerial meeting, with Communications Minister NazmulHuda in the chair, formed a four-member committee headed by the communications secretary to review and report on the state of diesel-driven vehicles within the nextthreemonths.
The meeting expressed grave concent over the growing traffic jam in the capital and decided on three remedial measures for immediate implementation. These are: ban on rickshaw movement on eight VIP roads, stopping illegal roadside prfHdng and making it mandatory
for all private and public buildings, markets, residences etc to construct their ownparkingfacilities as perthe building code of Rajdhanl Unnaydn Kortripakkha (Rajuk).
The meeting also emphasised introduction of electronic signalling system on all city roads for more efficient traffic control.
Meeting sources said there were heated debates in the meeting over the traffic situation as the ministries of communications and home affairs blamed each other for the city's traffic jams.
The meeting identified political considerations as one of the key hindrances to easing the traffic congestion. Due to interference of some political leaders, the number of rickshaws currently plying the city roads is around 10 lakh, though the maximum number was supposed to be four lakh only, it observed.
Dismissing the common allega-
tion against police of failure to control traffic, State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar said, on the contrary, police are really serious about traffic control and working relentlessly for a smooth traffic movement.
But, he said, itwas impossible to end traffic jams due to absence ofan electronic traffic signalling system, excessive number of rickshaws, absence of lanes for rickshaws and other manual or slow-moving vehicles, flyovers and inadequate number of foot over-bridges.
Babar blamed a lack of coordination among the bodies concerned for the city's growing traffic congestion and suggested a coordinated city transport management.
He claimed 'serious efforts' by police to seize illegal rickshaws have failed to make any headway due to interference and string pulling by
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some political leaders who apparently have stakes in letting the extra and illegal rickshaws continue plying on the city streets, meeting sources said.
Babar also expressed the apprehension that die traffic in the city’s northern area might fall into a dangerous situation with the opening of Mohakhali Flyover due to space constraints.
Representatives of the local government ministry, Dhaka City Corporation,- police, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP), present in the meeting, pointed at inadequate roads, Indiscriminate parking and excessive number of vehicles as the prime obstacles to a smooth city traffic.
They said, though the metropolis needs a road network covering at least 25 percent of its area, it actually has only an eight-percent network. They also observed that construction firms are wont to keep their
building materials by the roadside. This practice too causes traffic congestion in the city.
They were of the view that almost everyone, particularly the rickshawpullers and drivers of tracks, three-wheelers and buses, violates the traffic rules and thus further intensify the jams.
Responding to a query on how many three-wheelers presently ply the city roads, the communications minister said the number was supposed to be 15,000, but it seems the actual number is much more than that. He asked the BRTA authorities to inform him the exact number of three-wheelers immediately.
Sources said the meeting decided to form a co-ordination body with representations of all authorities and service providers concerned.
The meeting was also informed that the home ministry has taken several steps to smoothen the traffic. These include introduction of more electronic signalling devices and setting up close-circuit cameras.