The Link Road
Really the veracity of the old saying “A Picture is worth a thousand Words” was proved right by the realistic picture on pg 16 of DS, 21 April. The situation shown is pitiable. No heed was apparently paid by the authorities to The Daily Star's warning some years ago that having a 60 ft funnel at the end of a 120 ft road, would further exacerbate an already serious situation. And so it has proved to be, just a few moments after being declared opened by the prime minister herself.
The picture shows the left side virtually empty with a solitary motorcyclist and a private car with hordes of pedestrians, mostly jay-walking, while the right side is choked with bumper to bumper private cars, apart from about a dozen CNGs and a solitary bus in the distance. The DS report would have been much more enlightening if you had reported how many of these private cars were empty or half empty. The question therefore arises for whom these costly facilities are being made costing hundreds of crores of taka because there is not a SINGLE RICKSHAW to be seen. At the risk of repeating ad nauseum, rickshaws carry about 55-60% of Dhaka's masses, while buses/minibuses carry 25-30%, the lordly CNGs 8-12% and private cars the remaining 2-5%. Occupation of road space is significant with private cars hogging nearly 60% alone, proving that the much maligned rickshaws are not the sole cause of traffic jams.
Thousands of pedestrians (be-kar) including, ladies, children, elderly, disabled etc who will criss-cross the road in the summer heat and soon, in driving rain could have got some relief, if rickshaws were allotted one lane in the new road, but evidently rickshaws have been banned and this is yet another boon by the benign authorities to the fat privileged class.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments