Port city transport system in need of discipline

Speakers yesterday at a programme in the port city put emphasis on bringing discipline to the public transport system in the city.  

They were addressing a views-exchange meeting organised by the Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) at its KB Abdus Sattar auditorium where representatives from transport sector, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) were present.

Belayet Hossain Belal, secretary general of Chittagong Metropolitan Paribahan Malik Group, put forward a nine-point demand including a halt to plying of vehicles without route permits and harassment of drivers and owners by police in the name of requisition, taking steps against hawkers creating hindrance to vehicular movement by setting up shops on the streets, making BRTA free from brokers, and bringing its activities under CCTV surveillance by the CCC.

While addressing the programme as chief guest, CCC Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin assured the transport representatives of meeting their demands within his jurisdiction and of holding discussions with other authorities concerned to meet the rest of the demands. 

"Vehicles without route permits should not be allowed to ply since they create disorder in the transport sector," said the mayor, adding that the way hawkers were doing business encroaching upon streets cannot continue any longer as it was largely responsible for traffic congestion.

"All the hawkers in the city will be listed and provided with identification cards. They will run their businesses at specific hours in the designated spaces," added Nasir.

Masud ul Hasan, deputy commissioner (traffic-north) of CMP, and Mohammad Shahidullah, deputy director of BRTA's Chittagong Divisional Office, were also present.