Bus stop that risks lives
Dhaka is known for its haphazard bus stops. There is no planned stop where people can get on and off a bus without risking lives and oncoming traffic. Regrettably, the authorities have shockingly continued to turn a blind eye to this, despite the consequently numerous deadly accidents leading to loss of lives. We cite two flagrant examples of two dangerous bus stops.
One example of this is at the Sonargaon intersection where buses are regularly loading and offloading passengers risking their lives and of others. This is one of the busiest intersections in the capital and mishaps are common here.
Another can be seen in a picture published by this newspaper on Thursday, where a bus stop has been created on the Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover. Road barriers have been placed on the flyover to slow down the oncoming traffic. A heavy-duty metal staircase has also been installed there so that people can get on and off the flyover at will. What then is the purpose of creating flyovers if they are going to be turned into bus stops? Moreover, it is difficult to make sense of either the road barrier or the staircase as the whole purpose of a flyover is the swift movement of traffic that is clearly being impeded by both of these. Unfortunately, the only thing that can explain this strange scenario is bad planning and engineering mismanagement by the authorities.
The authorities must take cognisance of the dangers that people are being exposed to, rationally plan where to place bus stops and take steps against busses that stop anywhere other than the designated ones.
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