Editorial
Jamming the Dhaka-Chittagong highway
The aggravated tailback could have been avoided
Commuters on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway were forced to remain stranded in a 60km-long tailback for nine long hours on Friday due to a restriction on overloaded trucks using the Daudkandi bridge. For all we know, the ban was imposed in the morning all of a sudden as army personnel involved in repairing the bridge barred trucks weighing above 15 tonnes from crossing it. The question is couldn't the contingency be foreseen? Although the restriction was lifted four hours later, the uncoordinated move triggered protests from truckers who blocked parts of the highway, further worsening the gridlock.
We understand barring overloaded trucks was necessary for the repair work, and that is why if notified earlier they could have come with right weight or arranged in such a manner that the buses and coaches which were not overloaded could cross the bridge. As a report in yesterday's issue of The Daily Star reveals, neither the truckers nor the highway police were given any prior notice or information about the move. This is yet another proof of how an uncoordinated move can cause immeasurable sufferings to people. More to the point, it also caused economic loss that should not have been overlooked.
Although it was apparently a one-off step, there still could be such contingencies in future, which must be foreseen to avoid any exigency. There should be a well thought-out strategy which can be better implemented at the source where the trucks load their goods.
When thousands of people were languishing in an apparently endless gridlock, we are shocked to note that police made way for three VIPs and their motorcades to cross the bridge through a wrong lane. As well as making matters worse, this privilege in effect showed lack of consideration for citizens.
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