Blame game lets illegal parking thrive in Dhaka
While illegal parking continues causing traffic chaos in the capital, the two city corporations and Dhaka Metropolitan Police are exchanging blames instead of working out a durable solution.
A huge portion of the street is occupied by cars, microbuses and at some places by buses and trucks, but there has been hardly any initiative to address the problem.
On one hand, officials of Dhaka south and north city corporations say DMP's Traffic Department is supposed to enforce the relevant laws, and on the other, the Traffic Department says it was the responsibility of DCCs to allot parking spaces.
Illegal parking seriously hampers normal traffic flow and vexes pedestrians.
Experts pointed out that a lack of monitoring, inadequate parking facilities, and sloppy traffic management were responsible for illegal parking.
In the absence of adequate car parks, vehicles are seen standing randomly in the streets adjacent to shopping malls, schools, financial institutions, business establishments and government and private offices.
Chief Estate Officer of DNCC Md Aminul Islam said parking on roads was illegal, and the Traffic Department should clamp down on the violators.
"If they enforce the law strictly, illegal parking will come down gradually," added Mohammad Sirajul Islam, chief town planner at DSCC.
About setting up of parking signs on the streets, he said, “We don't put up parking signs due to a lack of space on the roads.”
He said that if Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) properly monitored whether multi-storey buildings were being constructed with proper parking facilities, there would be a significant decrease in illegal parking.
Speaking about their efforts, Additional Commissioner (Traffic) of DMP Mily Biswas said traffic police were trying to enforce existing laws against illegal car parking.
But she stressed that only use of laws would not solve the problem.
As there is no adequate parking spaces and bus bays on the streets, it creates a chaos, said the official. “We've already requested the DCCs to designate spaces for on-street parking.”
Visiting different parts of the capital, this correspondent found that traffic police were noticeably reluctant despite seeing a large number of vehicles parked on both sides of the roads.
Asked about illegal on-street parking near the multi-storey car park "City Centre" at Motijheel, Mily Biswas said drivers were averse because it took plenty of time to park cars inside the facility and bring them out.
Cars and microbuses were also seen parked from the Science Lab intersection to Nilkhet, where big shopping malls and markets like Dhanmondi Hawkers Market, Badruddoza Super Market, Gausia, Chadni Chowk and New Market are situated.
According to DSCC officials, a parking lot is located near the south gate of New Market.
The same situation prevails from Dainik Bangla crossing to Motijheel Shapla Chattar, although the nearby "City Centre" parking lot can accommodate over 1,000 cars.
In addition, a multi-storey parking facility, owned by Sadharan Bima Corporation, is situated at Dilkhusa with a capacity of 500 cars. But on-street parking is ubiquitous there, too.
Dhaka north has four authorised car parking lots -- Mohammadpur Town Hall, Mohammadpur Kitchen Market, Banani Kitchen Market and Karwan Bazar kitchen markets.
According to law, vehicles are permitted to park by the roadside for a certain period of time, where there is a parking sign put up by the city corporation.
Urban planner Prof Nazrul Islam said DCCs and DMP would have to sit together and discuss a way out to work in a coordinated manner and solve the problem.
The authorities must make people aware of parking rules as well, he said.
In addition, meters could be set up and motorists fined to discourage long-time parking in streets, said the professor, who was also chairman of the University Grants Commission.
-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">In addition, meters could be set up and motorists fined to discourage long-time parking in streets, said the professor, who was also chairman of the University Grants Commission.
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