Traffic jam
Last week there was a spate of articles on Traffic Jams in The Daily Star. These articles contained many useful and practical solutions for managing traffic but unfortunately did not take the present situation of traffic, roads, controllers, commuters, flows, frequency and time into consideration. Without exception, they totally ignored and/or negated the role played by rickshaws and vans on Dhaka's roads today. This requires to be repeated once again.
About 3.5 lakh rickshaws/vans transport approx 50% of Dhakabashis and the same per cent of goods every day. Five-six lakh pullers support about 20-25 lakh rickshaw related people on the Tk.15-20 crores daily earned by them by hard grinding labour. This is a ++ to GDP and an environmentally clean, cheap and fast form of transport, ideal for the short distance commuters in the narrow winding streets. They have never killed anyone but are the victims themselves most of the time. In sharp contrast the 4-5 lakh Gas Guzzling Monstrosities (GGMs) hog up to 70-75% of road space, carry only 3-5% Dhakabashis at astronomical cost, polluting the air and damaging ear-drums by their infernal, incessant, raucous horns. They can cause gridlocks by just turning or parking (backside first) into narrow confines everywhere. They drain out valuable ForEx every time they turn on the ignition not to speak of their daily toll of killed and maimed.
If there is no comparison in utility between the two, why has only the tri-wheeler been banned on so-called VIP roads? Have the car-owners purchased these roads for their empty/half empty cars? Why are the majority of people rickshaw related and users --deprived of their inherent constitutional right of free use of city roads paid for by the masses? Why have appropriate substitutes for the rickshaw/van not been introduced first before banning it? Is there any legal personality who can file a Writ? Is this not a Public Interest subject?
Further, who is accountable for the hundreds of crores already spent on futile freeways, signalling gimmicks, worthless rules, incapable administration and toadying controllers? And now we are being lulled comatose by the 'mother of all White Elephants', the 17,500 crore, 21 km behemoth that will wave away jams forever! How naive can we get?
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