Traffic policy signals city improvement

An officially designated area inside the Old Airport will be used as a riskshaw graveyard. Photo: Alasdair Macdonald

There will be a serious clamp down on illegal rickshaws in the city. The old illegal ones will be scrapped and the functional ones will be sent to district and thana towns

A new corridor for rickshaws will be constructed through the BDR headquarters at Pilkhana once the rickshaw ban on the Mirpur Road is fully enforced.

The Bangladesh Air Force have revised a previous decision and will provide a designated area inside the Old Airport to the DCC and the DMTP to use it as a riskshaw graveyard.

These and other major decisions were taken at a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office last Monday.

Corridor for Rickshaws through BDR Headquarter

The BDR headquarters at Pilkhana will have a new rickshaw corridor once the ban on rickshaws on Mirpur Road is fully enforced.

"We will ask for land from the BDR for this corridor and within a short period a joint survey will begin," said a source at the meeting said.

Illegal Rickshaws of Dhaka City

"The DMTP with the help of the DCC will soon clamp down on illegal rickshaws. The old illegal rickshaws will be scrapped and the functional ones will be sent to the district and thana towns. The district administration will then distribute these rickshaws to unemployed youths," said a senior government official at the meeting.

SAARC Fountain

The meeting also decided to reduce the circumference of the SAARC fountain on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue to allow more room for traffic movement. The fountain will be reduced in size from 105 feet to 95 feet, sources said.

Installation of Traffic Signals

The meeting discussed the faulty electronic traffic signals at important intersections in the city.

It was decided that the defective signals will be replaced by modern ones at 59 major crossings in the city. The DCC will be responsible for their installation.

Improvement and beautification of Airport Road

Under a major improvement and beautification project, Airport Road is to be turned into eight lanes for improved flow of traffic. But the construction has been delayed owing to non-cooperation from Navy Headquarters.

"The navy has installed an abandoned gun ship in front of its headquarters. If they don't remove this how will we build an eight laned road?" asked a participant at the meeting.

It was decided to send a delegation to the Navy Chief to request him to remove the gun ship very soon.

Relocation of Karwan Bazar wholesale market

Most of the participants at the meeting agreed that Karwan Bazar needs to be relocated.

"The wholesale market of Karwan Bazar, Tejgaon Truck Stand and the 'sweepers' colony' inside Gulshan Park will be relocated to an area around the proposed Tongi Diversion Link Road in the Hatir Jheel area," said another participant of the meeting.

The DTCB along with RAJUK, the DCC and other utility service providers have undertaken a decision to construct the Tongi Diversion Link Road, which will be connected from the east end of Panthapath to Pragati Sarani via Hatir Jheel.

Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Dr Kamal Uddin Siddiqui presided over the meeting, also attended by representatives from utility service providers, Dhaka Metropolitan Traffic Police and the Armed Forces.