Its back to square one
Dhaka roads wear usual chaotic look after 10 days of heightened vigilance
STAFF REPORTER
With the extended Traffic Week ending on Wednesday, Dhakas streets wore the usual look yesterday (Thursday). However, increased vigilance by the traffic police was noticeable. The presence of traffic policemen in large numbers was seen at different parts of the capital. Abdul Momen, a traffic policeman at the intersection of Dhanmondi 27, told The Independent that the student-led protest has motivated him to do his job better than before.
Momens motivation of braving a blazing sun to discipline the traffic yesterday noon was not good enough to ease the gridlock at the intersection by a mixed traffic comprising buses, minibuses, cars and human-haulers. We are all trying to do our best, but Dhakas traffic is something which you cannot control easily, said Momen while rushing to provide a signal in this four-sided intersection. A few hundred metres ahead, an old dilapidated bus was found dropping passengers in front of Mohammadpur Aarongan undesignated bus stop. The bus was releasing black fumes and had the appearance which even an ordinary person wouldnt certify as fit for road, let alone an inspector with the transport regulator.
I dont know how these buses are plying on the road. These should be put in the museum, said Aminul Kaiyum, a businessman near Aarong.
I dont see much changes happening on Dhakas roads in the near future, was his verdict. Motorbike riders, who meticulously wore helmets and kept a spare for pillion riders during the Traffic Week, came out yesterday without that bit of extra caution. This correspondent saw a number of bikers in different areas without a helmet. When asked why he did not feel the need for wearing a helmet, SM Sarwar, a biker, said: Its too hot.
Human haulers, popularly known as tempos, made a grand comeback after being behind the scene during the traffic week. Almost none of the 2,500 tempos operating on the city streets has any sort of fitness papers. Their under-aged drivers do not have any valid licence.
The Independent spoke to some tempo drivers, who admitted that they were off the road during the last one week because of increased vigilance by the traffic police. During the 10 days of the Traffic Week, 180,249 cases were filed against errant drivers and owners. Out of these, 88,293 cases were filed in the capital alone. About 49 per cent of the total cases filed during the Traffic Week had taken place in Dhaka and about 72 per cent of the fines had been realised here.
The total amount of fine realised during the Traffic Week was Tk. 70,814,375, out of which Tk. 51,096,277 was in Dhaka. Apart from filing cases and realising fines, the Traffic Division had taken several initiatives to increase awareness among commuters, drivers and owners.
The highest number of cases during the Traffic Week was filed against motorbikers. A total of 43,863 cases were filed against motorbikers and 1,742 motorbikes were seized. A total of 7,915 cases were filed for plying on the wrong side of the road and 3,331 for the fitness issue. Accoriding to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the number of registered vehicles in the country is 3,582,460. Out of these, the number of vehicles registered in Dhaka is 1,160,083.
Officials of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority said vehicles registerd in other districts too are plying on Dhaka roads. We are increasingly trying to control buses that enter Dhaka from other districts and start plying on its road like regular buses, said BRTA director (engineering) Nurul Islam.
