Speakers at a discussion yesterday stressed on the need for a mass transit system to reduce traffic congestion in Dhaka.

They suggested the government to take proper steps to control the number of privately owned cars coming on to city roads everyday, as cars occupy almost 67.70 percent of city roads.

Proper steps should also be taken to ensure adequate parking facilities and people should be encouraged to use river and rail routes, which need development, to reduce traffic congestion, they added.

Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA) organised the discussion titled "Immediate measures to check traffic congestion" at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the city.

The government must impose a tax, five to seven times the cost, if a family buys more than one car, said Israfil Alam, chairman of parliamentary standing committee on labour and

employment ministry.

Iqbal Habib, joint secretary of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, said the government always tends to solve problems faced by car owners, though they constitute only 17 percent of the total number of commuters.

He suggested on facilitating movement of 70 percent of the commuters, mainly pedestrians and those using buses.

Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan suggested on increasing the number of traffic policemen, removing hawkers from footpaths, ensuring parking space in markets and encouraging use of schools buses for students to reduce traffic congestion.

Former communications minister Nazmul Huda said it is very important to ensure a better traffic signal system and suggested on discouraging use of small vehicles such as CNG-run three-wheelers and constructing more bus bays.

He also suggested introducing parking facilities on rent throughout the city to reduce indiscriminate parking on

roads.

Emphasising on the need for vehicular registration, parliamentary standing committee on communications Chairman Golam Moula Rony said 40 percent city vehicles have fake registrations.

Criticising Nazmul Huda for introducing use of CNG in private vehicles, Subhas Sing Roy, political analyst of Bangladesh Television, said the government could reduce traffic congestion by 50 percent by stopping use of CNG in privately owned vehicles.

Abdul Hamid Sarif, secretary general of BARVIDA, presented a keynote speech at the discussion.

BARVIDA President Abdul Mannan Chowdhury; Joint Commissioner of Traffic Police Mahbubur Rahman; deputy secretary of Ministry of Industries Tapon Kumar Nath; BGMEA President Saiful Islam Mohiuddin; former vice president of Dhaka Chambers of Commerce and Industries Sakil Chowdhury and journalist Monir Haidar also spoke.