Enforcement of traffic rules
Too often we hear complaints of insufficient laws and rules which contribute to the chaos and nightmare on the roads of Bangladesh in general and Dhaka in particular. I would rather contend that whatever rules we have are not enforced, resulting in the arrogant attitude of drivers and owners. I have driven in the US for over 14 years and 9 years on the streets of Bangladesh. I have been ticketed in the US for changing lanes too abruptly and for driving above the speed limit. However, the streets of Dhaka are more like jungles of Africa, where hordes of animals roam the plain freely, than the streets of a modern city, where traffic laws would rule the roads and courtesy should rule the hearts of the drivers. Being ticketed for changing lanes without signal is a joke. Instead of writing a long article on what is wrong and how to fix it, which would probably end up being a 10-chapter book, I list five violations for the police to look at...let's start somewhere...
1. Set good examples - the police and Rab - should follow the law strictly. Teach us drivers how we should drive by virtue of your example.
2. Do not let cars/buses drive in the wrong direction - fine vigorously. When driving the roads, one nuisance is looking out for vehicles driving in the wrong direction - who does it just to save the trouble of a U turn. I often see police and Rab doing it.
3. Fine heavily buses that stop in the middle of the road to pick or drop passengers. Do not let violators off easily -we do not listen to the police until it hurts our wallet/the bottom line.
4. Penalize cars heavily that double park. Given that most owners do not drive their own cars, they do not feel the pain of the jungle like environment on our roads. When the police officer scolds the driver for infringements, owners shrug it off as a temporary nuisance - make the owners feel the pain.
5. Do not create laws that are not enforceable, nor reasonable. No horn on the roads - well, excuse me, I will sound the horn, otherwise the buses and taxis and cars will be riding all over me. The horn has saved the car too many times. I would rather pay a few hundred taka fine for the horn than have to pay thousands for a dent because a bus shoved a car on the rear (a real event for which I have filed an FIR).
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