Due to traffic jam in Dhaka, the capital city, almost 8.2 million working hours are being lost every single day. It takes more than 4 to 5 hours to travel to any destination across the capital. According to research from BUET, the annual financial loss from traffic congestion amounts to at least 500 billion BDT. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, the Secretary General of the Bangladesh Passengers’ Welfare Association, revealed these findings yesterday at a press conference held at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity. In his written statement, he noted that the disregard for rules by transport operators or bus drivers is making citizens suffer from severe traffic jams. The average speed of vehicles has dropped from 21 kilometers per hour in 2007 to 4.8 kilometers per hour in 2022. The condition of the buses is absolutely terrible. These buses are worn out with no rear lights, no indicators, and no front mirrors. Passengers can't sit comfortably, often having to stand in cramped conditions for long periods. In this situation, capable wealthy people are taking loans in order to buy private cars.
However, others are going for smaller vehicles like motorcycles, auto rickshaws, electric rickshaws, and services like Pathao and Uber. As a result, the traffic jam situation is getting worse because of all the disorganized buses, 400,000 pedal-powered rickshaws, 600,000 battery-powered rickshaws and electric bikes, 134,000 small ride-sharing vehicles, and 30,000 CNG-powered auto rickshaws, that are causing havoc on the street. Despite repeated discussions on this issue, no effective measures have been taken. Furthermore, after the change in government, 4,000 traffic police in the city have remained inactive. The Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association has called for measures such as implementing priority lanes through a bus route rationalization system, removing rickshaws, electric bikes, and other small vehicles from major roads, and controlling the traffic system using scientific methods to alleviate the suffering of city dwellers.
Bd-pratidin English/Rafid
