Stuck on the road

Recently, I had the opportunity to get a former communications minister, an incumbent chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), a traffic department official, a town planner, and two other civil society members to discuss the traffic situation in Dhaka. All of them agreed that traffic in the capital was getting worse with each passing day.

On one hand, vehicles, especially private ones, are increasing exponentially in numbers, while roads are getting blocked due to so many development projects, illegal parking, and encroachments. In some of the areas, instead of carrying out development work (construction of flyovers, for example) in phases, authorities have green-lit all fronts in one go, leaving Dhaka all dug up from end to end.

One of the major causes identified is the VVIP and VIP protocols maintenance by traffic officials during rush hours. The VIP handling leaves the entire system in a state of total chaos in the city, which is already packed with too many vehicles plying the too small roads. Additionally, there are meetings and rallies held by various organisations in front of the Press Club which bring life at the centre of the city to a standstill, from 11am to 2pm nearly every day.

The former communications minister wanted to know from the traffic official about the manual handling of traffic activity, which we have despite possessing a modern, automated traffic signaling system. The traffic official replied that the number of vehicles was too high to go by the automation system. He, however, agreed that coordination among all departments concerned would help in easing the congestion. The capital incurs a loss worth Tk21,000cr to the national exchequer every year, while the everyday loss due to traffic jams is Tk83cr, said a civil society member quoting a study.

Every day, city people are losing 320,000 working hours as they are forced to sit idly in traffic. Opinion came at the discussion that the authorities should look for feasible solutions to reduce this non-tangible and easily-avoidable cost incurred due to frequent traffic jams.

The road construction and repair works by the city corporations, Dhaka Wasa, the telephone department, cable networks, and many other government agencies continue throughout the year, leaving the city roads a complete mess. Construction of the Jatrabari flyover continued for seven years, resulting in serious congestion in the area, and the road under the flyover has not even been touched yet, and no one knows when it will be completed. The Maghbazar flyover halted vehicle movement in Maghbazar, Eskaton, Malibagh, and Bangla Motor, as the project is still going on without any plans for traffic diversion.

Footpaths are occupied by vendors, hawkers, and shopkeepers, forcing pedestrians to use the main roads. Squatters set up encroachments on the roads. Car showroom owners think the footpaths are an ideal platform to place their merchandise. Roads at commercial districts such as Motijheel and Karwan Bazar are occupied by cars parking illegally, while inter-city buses have illegal depots and stop points at various spots, causing hindrance in the flow of traffic.

Despite having a relatively modern automated traffic signaling system in many areas, traffic police prefer conducting the traffic manually. Suggestions sprang from the discussion that all agencies involved here should come to a decision to store the timings in the system in accord with traffic volume, which can also be varied if necessary. The traffic police are responsible in operating these signals, but instead of this system they are more intent in operating it manually. There should be a strong instruction from higher authorities to abandon such methods of traffic control.

Another major reason for traffic jams and road mishaps in Dhaka is a lack of knowledge about driving and traffic rules on the part of drivers. Most drivers are either unaware of traffic rules or they simply do not bother to abide. Jumping lanes, overtaking vehicles, speeding, cursing and swearing, all work to aggravate other drivers around them, leading to further congestion.

Solving traffic related issues is certainly no easy task, requiring a lot of research and planning. Considering the availability of the resources and funds, it is best to utilise what is readily available rather than opting for a brand new solution which would cause more strain on taxpayers’ pockets. One of the ways is to make the railway movements from Narayangaj to Gazipur a smoother one, and reduce the pressure on roads. Another would be to go for a circular waterway, utilising the rivers and canals around the city. There were some discussions about  a mass transit program, but it never saw the light.

The town planner and the former communications minister along with the civil society activists agreed that the improvement of our traffic system depended on the overall governance of the country. Yet the points raised in the discussion needed the attention of the authorities. Widening of roads is essential, along with construction of flyovers and underpasses in a scheduled and planned way. There should be designated parking premises, while traffic police must follow the sophisticated traffic controlling systems.

They can also impose conservation charges for private vehicles on various roads, and pay attention to mass transports. And there must be coordination among utility bodies like Wasa, electricity authorities, city corporations, etc, before digging roads for development and repair purposes.

The government can also think of allocating public school buses, as too many private cars move to and from schools during the rush hours. A proper drainage system is another way to keep the city free from water-logging, which also contributes heavily to traffic jams forming in the rainy season.