Easing Dhaka's traffic jam
Photo: STAR
The Daily Star published a special cover page with their regular issue of October 24, 2011 for raising public awareness about Dhaka's traffic jam. People are fully aware of this problem but they have nothing to do other than accepting the sufferings. It seems the government is not aware about the traffic jam. Otherwise, it would take some steps to improve the situation, which could be implemented within a short period of time. Instead of doing that, the government is thinking about big projects which needs a large amount of money and will take a long time to be complete. Our communications minister said that he would evict the hawkers from the footpaths after the Eid ul Fitr of 2011. But we did not see any action from our minister about this. Day by day, not only hawkers but also floating people are grabbing the footpaths. And so, the pedestrians walk through the main roads creating traffic jam. Why is the government allowing slums to grow on footpaths? Hawkers are using electricity illegally from the main line in Motijheel area. The authorities concerned are not taking any action against them although they know it. The government has taken some steps like construction of flyover, metro rail, link road, etc., to improve the traffic situation. But these will not improve the scene until and unless the government evicts hawkers, slums, unauthorised garages and shops from the footpaths and impose some strict rules for movement of vehicles and pedestrians. The bus drivers drive recklessly and take passengers from any place of the road, and the pedestrians also walk in disorderly manner and cross the roads through any place creating traffic jam. Lastly, I request the government and the authorities concerned to improve the traffic scene. Sincerity of the government is very important to do something good. Some actions may go against somebody but mass people will support it.
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