Traffic mismanagement
I was very glad to read Farah Islam's letter as above in the DS of 4 May 2009. It is time that women got up and took notice of this fact, more so as women, children, the elderly and the disabled are the worst sufferers of traffic mismanagement. The 13 points she has elaborated are valid to some extent, but she may not have given due importance to practical factors that are very vital to the stark realities of Dhaka. These are: 1. Dhaka's roads account for only 7-8% as against minimum 25% of the area. Most of these are narrow, winding and pot-holed. not suitable for the plying of big buses. 2. Passenger traffic can be divided as follows: 1-2% private cars, 15-20% CNGs, 20-25% buses, minibuses, etc, over 50% rickshaws/vans. 3. Rickshaws therefore, carry the bulk of the people including most women, children, elderly, disabled and for small loads over short distances, cheaply, speedily and environmentally cleanly. They generate about Tk. 10 crore every day for about 2-3 lakh rickshaw-related persons and 15-20 lakh members of their families. Therefore any traffic plan cannot dispense with rickshaws until there is a viable alternative. 4. About 350-400,000 private cars carry only 1-2% of the privileged class, hogging over 75% of the road space while plying empty/half-empty as can be seen if you stand for a time at any intersection. In addition, they park illegally all over, deafen the public, create air pollution and kill and maim thousands every year. I do not find any fault with the other points she has made except “No 6 where she says that rickshaws may be confined to operate in 'residential' areas only”. Pray, where are these residential areas? Is she referring to Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Uttara etc? Her concluding para is particularly poignant for me, “I wish somebody made me responsible for this. I would implement most within a week”. Very laudatory, but in 38 previous letters over the last 18 months, I have repeatedly voiced the same sentiments adding that it can be done in months at no cost to government on the basis of existing traffic laws. Will the authorities call our bluff? Actually it isn't!
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments