Buses run thru Hatirjheel flouting ban

Buses are often making their way through the Hatirjheel project area in the capital flouting a ban in this regard while the authorities turn a blind eye to the violation.

The project officials have said none took their permission to run buses through the project areas, posing a threat to the beauty spot.
Buses have started to use the roads through the project area, especially the Sonargaon-Rampura link road, recently to avoid traffic congestion on Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Avenue.
Severe traffic congestion on roads including Tejgaon, Satrasta, BFDC intersection, Moghbazar, Bangla Motors and Mouchak is now a common scenario due to construction work of the Moghbazar-Mouchak flyover project.
The construction work has made roads in the adjacent areas narrow and caused damage to the roads at some places while construction materials are also being kept on roads, causing traffic gridlock.
The flyover project director, Md Nazmul Alam, told New Age that they did not have any alternative roads in his project area.
‘Where is the space for an alternative road in this area,’ he asked and said they were keeping the project area roads open for traffic, which was what they could do at their best.
Buses including, Winner Transport on Azimpur-Kuril route, Prabhati Banasree Transport on Gulistan-Boromi route and Gazipur Transport on Gulistan-Gazipur route, often use the Hatirjheel project roads to avoid congestion.
Hatirjheel project architectural and landscaping consultant team leader Iqbal Habib told New Age that they were also concerned about the situation.
He said Hatirjheel project’s roads were not constructed for heavy vehicles including buses, lorries and trucks.
‘If heavy vehicles start to run through the area, the roads will suffer permanent damage,’ he said.
No one took their permission for operating buses inside the project’s area, he added.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s deputy commissioner (traffic-north) Prabir Kumar Roy said they did not give any permission to any transport operator to run buses through Hatirjheel project.
He said they were taking immediate action when any bus drivers were flouting the ban.
‘Integrated Development of Hatirjheel Area Including Begunbari Khal Project’ was inaugurated in January 2, 2013 which has been jointly implemented by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakhya, 16 Engineering Construction Battalion of Bangladesh Army, Dhaka Water Supply and Sanitation Authority and Local Government Engineering Department.
The main objectives of the project are to improve the drainage system, connect the east with the west part of the city, build a proper sewerage, and construct walkways and roads around Hatirjheel and Begunbari canals to improve communication and reduce traffic jam.