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Trucks, covered vans defy CMP rules

Nur Uddin Aiamgir
Thicks and covered vans are plying the city roads during daytime, causing huge tailbacks at different points in the port city.
Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Traffic Department imposed a ban last year prohibiting the trucks and covered vans from plying the city roads from 8.00am to 7.00pm to rid the city of traffic jam.
Immediately after imposing the ban, the traffic department relaxed it for those trucks and covered vans that will carry export and import items of food and garments products to and from the city.
For the garment-laden vehicles, a sticker from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers' and Exporters' Association (BGMEA) was a must to ply the city roads during the
daytime.
But, a vested quarter of the truck and covered van owners and drivers started faking the stickers of BGMEA for plying during daytime.
With this, lack of proper monitoring by the traffic department, it is a common sight that the trucks and covered vans, both goods-laden and empty without any sticker, ply the city roads in the daytime.
The commuters have been facing serious tailbacks following this at the entry points of the city at Oxygen Intersection, Kalurghat Bridge, Koiwali Intersection and some other busy points throughout the day.
On the other hand, Roads and Highway department constructed Chittagong Port Access Road at a cost of Tk 110 crore along the Dhaka-
Chittagong highway to help ease movement of vehicles like trucks, oil tanker, covered vans, container-movers and lorries to and from the Chittagong Port.
But, simply to avoid the toll of Tk 50 and for lack of proper monitoring these vehicles hardly use the 1 2.46-ki 1 ometre road stretching from Chittagong port to Bhatiari under Sitakunda upazila. The road was opened to vehicular movement on February 6 in 2007.
Mohammad Mainul Islam, deputy commissioner (DC) of traffic department, told The Daily Star that despite shortage of traffic sergeants they are trying to stop plying of trucks and covered vans with fake stickers. He said they also fine the vehicles and file cases against them for violating the rules.
To stop the malpractice, the stickers are now being given with signatures of both the BGMEA and the traffic department officials. The BGMEA has also been requested to change the colour and logo of the stickers frequently to avoid the possible fraudulence, Mainul said.
He said most of the drivers have a tendency to enter the city since they can do their other work apart from dodging the toll, he said, adding that their drive against the land owners, who keep the construction materials on the city roads blocking passage, is going on.
BGMEA Secretary Mohammad Moinuddin said they are issuing the stickers in cooperation with the traffic department from last month and faking stickers would reduce to a large extent.