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Managing traffic
Time distance in Dhaka town is far more than the real distance. To reach a destination of 15 minutes drive with respect to distance may often require two hours or so. Almost every day some reports and editorials are published in the newspapers about traffic jam. Experts are also giving their views and opinions for mitigation of the traffic jam but with no results. Energy and time both are lost in the traffic jam.
It is quite natural that population and the number of vehicles will rise with time. The problem lies with unplanned construction of roads, malls, schools, colleges, govt, and private offices, business centres, housing estates, hospital etc. The government probably gets maximum revenue from the transport sector of Dhaka city but unfortunately minimum expenditure is made on the development of the roads of the city in comparison to that of other parts of the country where traffic density is less and revenue income is also less. Experts are advocating elevated express way, underground railway, mono rail, construction of car parks etc. etc. which are all time and money consuming. But we need a solution to the problem today or tomorrow. This is difficult but not impossible. This is hopefully possible by offering better customized traffic management. Our experienced traffic police and local experts can contribute to solving traffic congestion. Some suggestions are as follows.
(i) Deployment of more traffic policemen with better salaries and ensuring strict compliance with traffic rules.
(ii) Schools should run buses for their students to obviate the need for using private cars.
(iii) Relocate less important government offices outside of the capital.
(iv) Vertical crossing of the roads needs to be discouraged as far as possible. Vehicles will cross the road going along the flow of the vehicles in the natural sequence without stopping and disturbing the flow of the vehicles while crossing the road. Vehicles’ flow should be allowed to go uninterrupted.
(v) Pick up, trucks, push carts, vans etc. should not be allowed to run during peak time.
(vi) During peak time, all trains will wait at the airport railway station.
(vii) Repair of roads and footpaths should be done Immediately. Footpaths should be made ready and free for use. (viii) Garbage collection places should be situated off the roads.
(ix) Buses should not be allowed to stop anywhere they like. Rather buses should stop at bus stops or alongside the edge of the road without disturbing the flow of vehicles.
Over and above, traffic load shedding like electric power load shedding should be imposed. The methodology of traffic load shedding should be developed in a pragmatic and customized way. Say, for example per-sons/families/offices having more vehicles will be allowed to ply on the roads with even numbers and odd numbers on alternate days except holidays.
Md. Delwar Hossain
East Rarnpura, Dhaka