Chaos at exit points

With the Eid rush gaining momentum, thousands of home-goers had to endure sufferings due to gridlock at different exit points of the capital and on its outskirts. 

Excessive flow of vehicles, haphazard parking and stoppage, and street vending caused traffic chaos at the capital's main exit points at Gabtoli, Abdullahpur, Jatrabari, Postogola and Babubazar.

Many passengers also got stuck in long tailbacks for hours on the city's outskirts --Savar, Ashulia, Tongi, Kanchpur and Keraniganj.

The situation might worsen today and tomorrow, as a huge number of city dwellers are expected to leave for home by this time to celebrate the Eid on Friday with their loved ones, said transport operators.

At Gabtoli, there was traffic congestion near Aminbazar Bridge in the morning.

Putting their lives at risk, people travel on the roofs of overcrowded buses on Dhaka-Tangail highway at Chandra of Gazipur around 11:30am yesterday. Photo: Anisur Rahman, Palash Khan

A U-turn point only a few yards from the bridge contributed to gridlock, as many vehicles used it, making others wait in a long queue to cross the bridge.  

Buses and three-wheelers were haphazardly parked on the road, slowing down traffic movement there, said transport operators and passengers.

Besides, the cattle market set up close to the road contributed to traffic congestion at Gabtoli through which scores of buses leave the capital for northern and southern districts.

There was no relief for home-goers even after they crossed Gabtoli-Aminbazar points, as several hundred vehicles remained stuck in tailbacks at Savar bus stand around 12:00noon.

"It took more than 40 minutes to cross Savar Bazar bus stand area. Usually, it takes around 10 minutes to travel the distance," Khalilur Rahman, who was going to Manikganj from Dhaka by a bus, told The Daily Star in the afternoon.

At Abdullahpur in Uttara, vehicular movement was slow due to overflow of traffic. Besides, vehicles had to move very slowly to cross the narrow Tongi Bridge. This resulted in a long tailback from Shahjalal International Airport to Abdullahpur.

"It took around one and a half hours to reach Abdullahpur from Mohakhali as vehicles moved very slowly on the road," said Salahuddin Ahmed, who boarded a Mymensingh-bound bus at Mohakhali in the afternoon.

From Abdullahpur intersection, vehicles exited the capital through Ashulia-Baipail route or Tongi-Joydebpur route.

Helaluddin, a bus driver on Dhaka-Tangail route, said Ashulia-Baipail road with numerous potholes was in a very bad shape.

On Tongi-Joydebpur route, vehicles had to move very slowly due to rush of shoppers on roadside markets and factory workers loading and unloading goods there.

vehicles crawl near Kanchpur Bridge on the outskirts of the capital around 2:30pm yesterday. Photo: Anisur Rahman, Palash Khan

However, things were much better for those who travelled through Dhaka-Tangail highway.

They apparently faced less hassle on the highway, as additional law enforcers and volunteers from unions of transport workers were assigned to control traffic at Chandra intersection, reports our Tangail correspondent.

At Jatrabari, traffic congestion was less compared to that at other exit points with many vehicles leaving the capital through Mohammad Hanif Flyover. However, the journey on Sayedabad-Jatrabari route was uncomfortable because of poor condition of the road, said transport operators.

However, hundreds of Chittagong-bound passengers suffered badly due to a five-kilometre tailback at Gazaria on Dhaka-Chittagong highway since morning.

Buses were moving very slowly on the route till 8:45pm, reports our Munshiganj correspondent.

Many vehicles remained stuck at Nayabazar in Old Dhaka due to traffic congestion near Babubazar Bridge that connects Keraniganj with the capital.

Bus drivers were seen putting on brakes at will to pick up passengers near Babubazar Bridge and also Postogola Bridge.

Hundreds of vehicles use the two bridges to go to Mawa ferry terminal, considered the gateway to southern districts.

Many passengers had to wait for hours to board ferries because of gridlock at Shimulia-Kawrakandi and Paturia-Daulatdia ferry terminals.

Most of the launches and trains left the capital on schedule for different destinations, said passengers and officials concerned.

Meanwhile, the Road Transport and Highways Division set up a control room at the BRTA head office yesterday to facilitate smooth journey of home-goers ahead of the Eid. The control room will remain open round-the-clock till September 28.

Trucks and covered vans have worsened the gridlock although Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader had announced that no trucks would be allowed on highways for three days each before and after Eid to ensure smooth journey home and back. Photo: Anisur Rahman, Palash Khan