Mir Abdul Alim

The flying bridge has been completed, the metro rail has also been opened, the rest will also be opened, the subway will also be there. Even then, will the traffic congestion in the capital Dhaka reduce?

Maybe not? Why is traffic congestion not reducing at such a cost? We are creating some complications, so even after spending so much money by the government, the traffic jam is not getting free. Flyover, Metrorail, these mega projects have been done in interest to reduce traffic congestion.

The government has done it for the welfare of the people. We never thought that there will be such a flyover, subway, metro rail in the capital. But it is done and of good quality.

Our Metroroll quality is better than India. But some dishonest people of this country are diluting the benefits of these things to increase their earnings. Man-made traffic jams on the roads of Dhaka at twelve o'clock.

If the roads and footpaths are freed from their hands, only then will Dhaka be freed from traffic jams. Why is there so much traffic jam on the streets of Dhaka? And what is the solution? There is a solution! Our people, transport drivers, traffic and police administration have to get better. We must be civilized.

The road concerned should also ensure the proper implementation of the law. The day when people obey the traffic laws, the traffic police will work properly to reduce the traffic congestion on the roads without taking bribes, the drivers will drive the vehicles on the roads according to the traffic rules, the day the shops will be closed on the day the traffic congestion in the capital Dhaka will be reduced.

Small vehicles from Dhaka should be reduced, above all the government should force everyone to obey the law. Dhaka is now at the top of the traffic jam. Despite the long flyover by Mayor Hanif, the entrance to the capital is jammed for months.

The traffic situation of the shooting range is fluid. The flyover is often congested. Uloop in Badda has been created to reduce traffic congestion in Rampura, Badda, Airport as well. There is also a perennial traffic jam. Life in Dhaka city is becoming more and more miserable due to multifaceted problems.

The most obvious and complex problem is the traffic congestion. Our media is reporting that the traffic jam in Dhaka is out of control. NAMBIO Dhaka is the most congested city in the world in a recent survey by a global database. Dhaka is the slowest car in the world.

Traffic congestion in Dhaka metropolis is increasing very rapidly. It was a dream that if the various flyovers of the capital are launched, the traffic congestion in Dhaka will be reduced a lot. But there are lumps at the base. Take Jatrabari Mayor Hanif Flyover. Otherwise, go tomorrow and see for yourself. What am I seeing everyday?

There is always traffic under the flyover. He stopped at the congested flyover. Traffic is also stuck on the flyover for hours. Concerned have ever gone to find the reason? There is a reason. A man-made traffic jam is created there for the toll toll the traffic to get on the flyover.

How? The road below the flyover is broken every month. It is the responsibility of the state to check whether such violations are kept or not. All roads in the country are improved, and why is this poor condition of this small road at the entrance of the capital?

Because of the fear of traffic congestion, the transport should travel toll over the flyover? Maybe or maybe not. The intention is very good! Government concerned should find the reason. The question is, what will happen if the concerned people keep a lock on their mouth after receiving two pieces? Besides, the huge wholesale market at the entrance of the capital is also causing traffic jams.

I have been hearing about the removal of the market for a long time. Not for special reasons. The market is not being removed because there is a vested interest or a major contributor to congestion. Gone are the stories of wholesale raw markets, flyovers and narrow broken roads.

There are more events! It is said that sometimes those who cast out ghosts have ghosts inside them. What is that ghost? Many times those who will clear the road traffic are the cause of the traffic jam. Why are they going to do it? Because two pieces. To fill the empty pockets, this event is held somewhere. If there is a traffic jam on the Demra roads of Dhaka, it can be done in the name of transport paper examination or bribe trade can be carried out.

Don't give money if the documents are not right. If the transport papers are all in order, there is no end to the problem. Why rub the car? Why is Bamber high? Why can't the color of the nameplate be seen? Various excuses. And when the claim is settled, it's all over.

Maybe the owner or the driver gets a greeting. Badda Yuloop is planning is correct. There is supposed to be less traffic. Why not? There is a gas pump where the road from Hatirjheel's Gulshan entrance joins the Badda road.

Pump cars line the road.

Vehicles entering from Gulshan and coming from Rampura got stuck there. I knew that the pump would be removed in order to reduce the traffic jam when the Uloop was launched.

That special person: So the pump is in place. No matter how much traffic there is, no one has the power to move it. Another gateway to the capital, Shitalakshya Sultana Kamal Setu, Demra quarter is a daily game of traffic police. So there is constant traffic jam.

If the road is open, this business does not accumulate, so the traffic police creates traffic jams there. This is the complaint of local journalists and business circles. This is being done at Tongi, Gabtali, Savar, the entrance of the capital. If there is a traffic jam at these entrances, it is normal that the roads inside the capital will be congested.

If the so-called packing trade, traffic police rucker trade continues inside the capital, no matter how many flyovers and metrorails or underpasses there are in Dhaka; Traffic congestion will not decrease. Do we have sidewalks in Dhaka? However, they are always used to fill the pockets of extortionists. 

How uncivilized we are. Illegal shops are set up on both sides of a footpath. As a result, people cannot walk with feet. People walk on the road risking their lives. Many roads in Gulistan, Motijheel, Dilkusha, Shantinagar and even Gulshan, Banani are now occupied by hawkers.

However, the hawkers are the second occupants. Politicians rent sidewalks to hawkers on alleged leases. It is possible only in Bangladesh. In different countries of the world, after 8 o'clock in the off-peak, itinerant shops sit on the sidewalk or on a special road.

It also does not create any traffic jam. And it remains planned. This can also be seen on the pavements of Kolkata. They keep the roads one-way so there  is no traffic jam. Many rich and developed countries in the world have problems with traffic congestion in big cities, but traffic congestion in Dhaka metropolis surpasses all.

This unfortunate outcome did not happen in a short time. Today this is the result of this problem accumulating before our eyes. But this is not the end. Because, the traffic congestion is increasing gradually and will definitely increase in the coming days.

It is almost impossible to say when, in the distant future, the increase in traffic congestion will stop. Because, there is no effective plan and action to solve the problem. Rather, our doubt is whether the relevant authorities of the government have any idea of solving it.

People are not able to walk properly on the roads of the capital. Due to traffic congestion, the speed of vehicles in the capital Dhaka is decreasing. If this continues, after a few days people will be able to walk in front of the car. The average speed of vehicles in this city is about seven kilometers per hour.

As the number of vehicles continues to increase, the city's vehicle speed will reach four kilometers per hour by 2025, which is less than the walking speed of humans. Average human walking speed is five kilometers per hour.
According to the data of the World Bank, the annual financial loss due to traffic congestion is about 30 thousand crore rupees. Its amount is like 84 crore rupees per day.

Due to traffic congestion, about 2 thousand crores of rupees are lost every day from various sectors due to the inability of transport to enter the capital.

In total, the financial loss due to traffic jams is about 100 crores per day. Apart from this, during the 12 hours from 8 am to 8 pm, vehicles plying in the capital have to be stuck for about 7 and a half hours due to traffic jam. Among them, about 200 different types of transport are on the road every day. In 2030, the population of Dhaka will be 300 million.

In this context, now is the time to take initiatives to alleviate traffic congestion. In order to make the capital Dhaka livable for all, it is necessary to adopt and implement a proper far-reaching and integrated master plan. Traffic and congestion are not only slowing down the city's mobility, but also hitting the finances. If the current situation of Dhaka city remains unchanged, the city will become immobile.

The number of low-speed vehicles and private cars needs to be looked at to bring the traffic congestion of the capital to a bearable level. Care must also be taken to ensure that traffic laws are strictly followed in all cases. Removal of shops from footpaths, banning of car parking everywhere and reduction of private car traffic during peak hours of the day should also be considered.

The number of roads in the capital is already less than the population. Despite that there is an abundance of low-speed rickshaws and private cars.
Occupying sidewalks and running shops or parking cars everywhere on the streets has become a casual affair in megacities. 

Unplanned parking of private cars is one of the causes of traffic congestion.
Car parking is going on uncontrollably in almost all the roads of Dhaka. As a result, there is less space for vehicles on the road, resulting in traffic jams. Again, as there is no control system in parking, people are encouraged to use private cars.

Cars are increasing, parking problems are also increasing. Various steps were taken earlier to solve the parking problem but no solution was found. It is important to find a lasting solution to the parking problem to control congestion, ensure proper utilization of resources and space.

To save Dhaka from traffic congestion, metro rail service, Udal bridge has been built. This time, private cars, rickshaws, baby taxis and other types of transport should be controlled. Motijheel should be declared a commercial zone and all transport except buses should be stopped. 6-7th of the total area of the capital Dhaka road.

According to international rules, there should be 25-30 percent of the road, but Dhaka does not have it. Most of the roads are occupied. According to the World Bank, it is impossible to alleviate traffic congestion in the capital's current situation.

So what will happen to the people of Dhaka? Dhaka residents will be stuck in traffic? No, the people of Dhaka must be freed from this miserable traffic jam.

This requires proper planning and implementation of laws. We hope that the
government will try in this regard.

The writer is a journalist, columnist and social researcher.