Commuters travelling across the capital Dhaka city are going to face horrible situation on the city roads due to severe gridlock during the holy month of Ramadan.
We the city people bear the brunt of traffic congestion round the year as traffic snarl takes away our valuable time, leading to loss of money as resultant impact.
Commuters get stuck in gridlock for hours as traffic in the city, particularly in commercial areas, busy intersections and shopping mall areas, comes to a standstill from afternoon to late night every day.
Traffic congestion is mostly seen in front of shopping malls where shoppers rush in private cars slowing down the movement of public transports during Ramadan.
Almost all the city roads are expected to be overcrowded with vehicles with the Eid shoppers moving from one shopping mall to another.
If the authorities do not take effective measures immediately, traffic congestion will turn into a nightmare.
If the authorities do not take
effective measures immediately,
traffic congestion will turn into
a nightmare
As the number of shoppers and vehicles increase significantly ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr every year, the city roads get locked, causing immense sufferings for the people. The traffic department blamed the commuters for the tailback as, according to them, they (commuters) neither listen to the traffic police nor obey the traffic rules.
Traffic movement from Abdullhapur, Sayedabad and Gabtali, city’s north, southeast, and northwest gateways respectively, to Gulisthan, Motijheel and other destinations virtually comes to a halt at different strategic points for hours every day. The gridlock also spills into the entire city thoroughfares, including Banani, Mohakhali, Mohakhali Flyover, Prime Minister’s Office, Bijoy Saroni, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Bangla Motor, Shahbagh Intersection, Motsho Bhaban and National Press Club.
Since most of the city footpaths have been occupied by makeshift shops, the pedestrians and shoppers now have to walk on the main roads, contributing to traffic jam. Besides, New Market, Panthapath, Mouchak, Malibagh, Kakrail and Dhanmondi areas also experience severe traffic jam, as popular shopping malls are located in these areas.
Traffic congestion in the peak hours is a major headache for the travellers. There are reports that people miss flights after being stuck in traffic snarl for hours. Traffic congestion generally begins in the afternoon and it lingers until midnight, creating difficulties for the people entering and exiting the capital city. We think it is the responsibility of traffic police, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), city corporations and bus owners’ associations to ensure traffic discipline during Ramadan.