RAJSHAHI: The existing automatic traffic signal system needs to be effective for the sake of safe traffic and pedestrian movements in the city, said members of the civil society, reports BSS. They mentioned that the existing automatic traffic signal system has become almost ineffective in the metropolis posing a serious threat to the public transports movement together with the pedestrian. Different modes of public transports carrying passengers and other pedestrians, especially school students, have to cross various crossings and intersections like Kadirganj, Gourhanga, Saheb Bazar Zero point and Moni Chattar, Luxmipur and Bornali more amid life risk. According to the officials concerned, Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) had established the signal system at 21 important points out of 30 at a cost of around Tk 1.5 crore in three phases since 1994. But, many of those are not being used at present due to various reasons. Currently, traffic division of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP) has been managing the city's traffic manually causing indiscriminate traffic movement and huge congestion at different crossings and intersections frequently especially ahead of the forthcoming Eid festival.
"Basically, we are now facing a great trouble in controlling the traffic due to excessive mechanized and manual transports on the city streets alongside non- functional of automatic system," said Nazrul  Islam, Traffic Inspector of Rajshahi Metropolitan Police.
In this regard, he mentioned that initiative has been taken to reestablish the automatic system. He, however, favored an adequate public awareness regarding traffic rules and regulations for the sake of ensuring safety road. Mustafizur Rahman Khan Alam, a prominent journalist, blamed that the automatic signals were established in an unplanned way resulting in misuse of huge public money.
However, plying of huge rickshaws including large number of unauthorized ones has been considered as the main reason behind the traffic jam as most of the pullers are not conscious about traffic law. "We have, so far, given license to some 30,000 rickshaws in the city but the total figure might hit at least 35,000," said Sarwar Hossain, RCC Taxation (License) Officer.
Besides, appearance of huge number of battery-driven auto- rickshaw has triggered the traffic congestion problem. Rejaul Karim, an auto-rickshaw driver, said many of the auto-rickshaw drivers have no idea how to abide by the traffic rules. They load and unload passengers parking their vehicles here and there due to their ignorance coupled with money-making intension, he added. Apart from this, the city roads were affected for establishing of underground gas pipeline causing a great trouble to the traffic and pedestrian movements for over last one and a half years.
"I have never seen such type of haphazard traffic movement and congestion in the city," said Enamul Haque, a teacher of Khademul Islam School and College, adding that the situation needs to be addressed immediately.
Meanwhile, the RCC has evicted some of the illegal occupation on the footpath for the sake of easy pedestrian movement side by side with freeing the city from traffic jam.