POBNEWS24, Dhaka Sept 9, 2024 : September 5 at two o’clock in the afternoon. Heavy traffic congestion in Merul Badda Yuloop area of the capital. After standing still for about 40 minutes, the car started moving. After driving for two minutes, the road is empty. I mean there was no traffic jam, but there was a conflict between the public bus service and the battery operated rickshaws. Battery-powered rickshaw running in the middle of the road! Public buses are also stopping everywhere.
The traffic policemen were not seen to take any special role. Bikers, rickshaw pullers are creating traffic jams as best they can. The traffic members who are responsible on the road cannot be strict. On the contrary, they are allegedly being bullied.
This is the picture of the road in most areas of the capital, including Asadgate, Mohakhali, Shahbagh, Gulistan, Pragati Sarani, day or night. Once there is a traffic jam somewhere, it does not subside even after hours pass. It takes an hour and a half every day to go to Kuril Bishwar Road from Newbazar in Pragti Sarani. But it is a maximum of 10 minutes. Even after 11 o’clock at night, the road is still congested. In this situation, the road users of Dhaka are breathing heavily.
After the resignation of Sheikh Hasina, the policemen came under fire the most. The traffic police were not on the roads for six consecutive days, during which the students performed the duty of the traffic police day and night in every road of the capital. Later, the traffic policemen returned, but order did not return to the road. Every day from morning to late night, the city dwellers are stuck in traffic jams.
Festival of breaking rules
Traffic police members say that those who use the road every day are breaking the rules. A class of people are constantly bullying us. People are breaking the rules for various reasons including parking everywhere, hawking on the side of the road, driving in the opposite direction and wanting to go ahead by disobeying the signal. During the six days that the students performed the duties of the traffic police on the road, no one broke the rules out of fear. Why is that fear not working in people’s minds! Because of this there is traffic jam on the road from morning till night.
On August 27, a man named Sohrab Hossain beat up a traffic police constable for stopping a Prado car from moving in the opposite direction in Chittagong city. Police arrested a driver named Rafiqul Alam in this incident. The injured police constable was treated at Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
And the road users say that the traffic police performed their duties on the roads during the Sheikh Hasina government, but now they are not performing their duties in the same way. Most of the time they are drunk on good stories. Even if the signal is violated, the traffic policemen are not taking any action. Earlier, there was very little traffic in the afternoon, but now some roads are still congested in the afternoon.
Several officers of the traffic police
have been transferred and reshuffled in various units of the police due to the change in the power of transfer. In this reshuffle, several officers of DMP traffic police were transferred. Additional Commissioner of Police, Head of Traffic Department of DMP, was transferred. Munibur Rahman. Besides, the joint police commissioner of traffic department of DMP SM Mehdi Hasan along with the DCs of 8 divisions of DMP were also transferred.
It is known that till now no one has been transferred at the field level. The experienced traffic policemen who used to do duty on the road are still doing duty. However, senior police officers are also looking for the reason for the traffic jam.
Battery-powered rickshaw jams jam!
It can be seen on the ground that a member of the traffic police is on duty at the intersection of the road in Rampura Bazar. Vehicles are running without obeying traffic police signals. The three lanes of the road are completely occupied by rickshaws. Meanwhile, the public bus services running in the city are stopping everywhere and picking up and dropping off passengers. Two traffic policemen are seen at Abul Hotel intersection after Rampura Bazar. They were standing on the road to decongest the traffic. Abul Hotel from Badda Linroad, 20 minutes by car. But due to traffic and rickshaws, it takes about two hours.
The same picture can be seen at Paltan intersection in the capital. Traffic policemen are struggling to clear the traffic jam. On one side of the road there is a private car parking lot, then there are empty rickshaws waiting to pick up passengers. They are not going even if the traffic policemen remove them. No one should ignore the traffic policemen.
Autorickshaw driver Jamal Miah was waiting for a passenger in Caravan Bazaar, the busiest area of the capital. He told Jago News that he came to Karwan Bazar with passengers from Asadgate for Tk 120. Now I am getting passengers as well as the police are not stopping me. Earlier, the police did not allow to get on the main road. But we can get on the main road only when the students start taking responsibility for the traffic.
Battery-powered auto-rickshaws in the middle of the road do not move even after honking,
a private driver named Altaf Hossain told Jago News that he has not been able to get any peace while driving in Dhaka city for almost a month. Battery powered auto rickshaws are seen on all roads. Now battery operated autorickshaw drivers ply through the middle. Don’t move even if you give the horn. The car’s pressure gradually increases.
Around different areas of the capital, auto rickshaw drivers are plying with passengers as best they can from early morning till late at night. Other vehicles are not able to move normally in the opposite direction with passengers. Once it creates a traffic jam, it remains for a long time.
Out-Rickshaws in Gulshan-Banani
As an elite area of the capital, Gulshan-Banani has specific uniformed and registered rickshaws of the City Corporation. However, after August 5, foreign rickshaws entered Gulshan-Banani from different parts of Dhaka due to high fare. At present, due to the large number of rickshaws in the Gulshan-Banani area, normal vehicles have to gain speed. Passengers have to be stuck at the signal for anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.
Due to lack of fear of prosecution, even more reckless drivers
before August 5 normally had an average of 400 to 500 traffic law cases in Dhaka metropolitan area. There are currently only a handful of cases under traffic laws. Most drivers would not create chaos on the roads for fear of lawsuits. But lately the traffic police are giving less cases. That is why most of the drivers are driving recklessly.
Talking to some traffic sergeants who work on the road, it is known that nobody wants to take the responsibility if they abuse the policeman with false allegations or if more people gather and show fear when going to file a case against someone who breaks the law. That’s why we request drivers to obey the rules to create awareness.
Heavy vehicles are running in violation of the rules since the evening,
despite the rules for heavy vehicles to enter the capital Dhaka after 10 pm, trucks and lorries carrying sand and soil are moving at reckless speed since the evening. Because of these trucks, the people traveling on the capital’s roads are also in extreme fear. These vehicles are one of the reasons for increasing traffic congestion on Dhaka roads recently.
According to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), there are 2 lakh 41 thousand 436 registered trucks, covered vans and pickups in Dhaka. Among them, 83 thousand 785 trucks, 1 lakh 18 thousand 844 pickups and 38 thousand 807 covered vans. Twice as many as are unregistered. Besides, thousands of trucks carrying goods entered Dhaka from different parts of the country.
Bikes running on the sidewalk!
Motorcyclists have become reckless since the police started their duty after the students left the road. Most of the bikers are riding motorcycles everywhere and disregarding signals. The police are pretending not to see it. Besides, some bikers are also riding motorcycles on footpaths due to heavy traffic. Pedestrians are protesting but bikers are paying no attention. Food deliverymen regularly hand out bicycles on the sidewalk. They also do not accept anyone’s obstacles.
A senior officer of DMP’s traffic department , who was bullied by traffic policemen
, told Jago News that action cannot be taken according to the existing traffic law. In many cases traffic police members are being bullied. Some people are driving on the wrong side of the road, many people are not obeying traffic signals. Heavy traffic during the day. Battery powered auto rickshaws are coming on the road again. Due to all this, traffic jams are created in the city. But all members of the traffic are present. They are performing their duties safely.
A middle-aged policeman was on duty at the capital’s Mohakhali traffic signal. He told Jago News that for three to four days, some young boys abused him very badly while riding a motorcycle. Although he is upset about it, he is not neglecting his duties.
A traffic policeman on duty in Paltan area, who did not want to be named, said that the traffic policemen performed their duty on the road in the sun and rain. Currently they have no place to sit. Traffic police members are on duty from 6 am to 2 pm and from 2 am to 11 pm. They don’t even have a place to go to the washroom. Even so, he is trying his best to solve the traffic jam. Many people are getting sick due to continuous duty.
Another member of the traffic said that the law should be implemented to solve the traffic jam. But now everyone is free. There is a fear among many members of the traffic police that the police will be attacked or not if legal action is taken. So many people are aware and doing their duty on the road.
What the traffic police officers of Dhaka say in the solution
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADC) of Traffic-Mirpur Division Yasina Ferdous told Jago News, ‘battery-powered auto-rickshaws are not supposed to ply on the main road. However, these rickshaws are causing obstruction to other vehicles by driving and parking on the main road. A passenger also has responsibilities. Everyone should come forward to raise awareness. Currently, school-based awareness activities are ongoing. After one to two weeks legal action or case will be filed.
Traffic-Gulshan Division Deputy Commissioner of Police (DC) Abdul Momen told Jago News, ‘Traffic policemen were the first to hit the road after a change in the situation. At one time, a certain number of rickshaws used to ply in the Gulshan-Banani area. These rickshaws were approved by the city corporation. But after the 5th, autorickshaws are coming to Dhaka from other places. They don’t know how to navigate which road. As a result, we often have conflicts with them. These rickshaw pullers often target and bully our policemen.
He said, maybe after a long time a policeman went to drink water or go to answer the call of nature, then maybe someone might think that the traffic policeman is not doing his duty. However, the condition of the road after the 5th has improved somewhat in the last few days.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DC) Traffic-Lalbagh Division, Salma Syed Poli told Jago News, “Dhaka city has more vehicles than roads.” After that, if battery-powered auto-rickshaws come on the roads of Dhaka, the city dwellers will have to face traffic jams. We are trying to solve the problem. But it will take some time. Force cannot be used on anyone. Trying to solve the problem by explaining in general.’
DMP Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Khondkar Najmul Hasan told Jago News, ‘There has been a major change in the police. Those new to traffic take some time to understand. But on the road, from all levels of policemen to officials, everyone is working from the spot to reduce traffic congestion.
Khondakar Najmul Hasan said that the problem of traffic jams cannot be solved by the efforts of the police alone, and said, ‘The culture of obeying the law is very low in our country. A passenger also has some responsibilities. A common citizen knows very well where rickshaws should not ply and where they should ply. But it has to be accepted. Then order will slowly return to the road.’
When asked about the case, the head of DMP’s traffic department said, ‘It is not possible to solve all problems with a case. That is why we are proceeding slowly with regard to the case. Dhaka’s traffic system will be better with everyone’s awareness.
If asked, DMP Commissioner said. Mainul Hasan told Jago News, ‘Traffic congestion is one of the main problems of this metropolis. To solve this problem, on one hand, integrated planning, effective initiatives and on the other hand, unwavering cooperation, awareness and vigilance of the city dwellers are needed.
He said, ‘If you thank the policemen who are performing their duties in the sun and rain at least with a smile, they will be more energized. If journalist friends suggest the causes and solutions to the traffic jam by publishing objective news, we will accept it.
