We have spent crores of taka from our public exchequer for construction of many overhead crossings, underground passages and flyovers. We have earmarked VIP roads and made one-way road traffic in various areas of Dhaka city. We have also decided to build a giant flyover from Jatrabari to Gulistan, the work of which is temporarily suspended. But unfortunately we have not been able to make any fruitful progress in overcoming our road traffic hazards, chaos and gridlock in road traffic. We now understand that our authorities concerned are contemplating to build an underground railway or elevated expressway to ease our problems.

We would like to request our authorities concerned to examine the following matters seriously and sincerely before arriving at a final decision on the construction of under- ground railway or elevated expressway 1. We do not have an effective master plan for Dhaka city. 2. Dhaka is flood-prone. 2. Shortage of electricity is acute in Dhaka. 3. If elevated expressway or underground railway starts operating, would millions of vehicles buses, cars, trucks, rickshaws and pushcarts vanish and there would be no road traffic jam?

' Have we ever thought, examined or found out the real cause of jams and gridlock in road traffic in Dhaka?

The area of Dhaka city is very small, people are living in crowded and congested areas. The roads and streets are narrow, zigzag and ser-pent-like and filled with parking of vehicles, hawkers and vendors and goods and commodities of shopkeepers. Above all, there are thousands of road crossings, road corners, road squares and road junctions in Dhaka city.

Let us work out, find out and make a survey as to how many times we are required to stop here and there, wait and waste our time when we travel by any type of vehicle from one place to another, say from Mirpur to Motijheel C/A, Gulistan to Airport, Shantinagar to Sadarghat, Hatkhola to Azimpur, Gulshan to Sadarghat and so and so forth.

Why don't we consider construction of some one or two-storied over-bridges at some important and busy road squares, road junctions say at Farm Gate, Bangla Motors, Naya Paltan, New Market, Gulshan Market, Hatkhola, Mouchak, High Court, Maghbazar etc, etc., for movement of motor vehicles to move round the clock without falling into the gridlock of road traffic?

OH Kabir

Wari, Dhaka