Morning commute turns nightmare
Hundreds of city dwellers suffered long delays yesterday as they had to endure gridlocks on different city streets during the morning rush hour.
There was no public event in the capital. Moreover, yesterday was the weekly holiday for shops, shopping arcades and other commercial establishments in Karwan Bazar, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, New Market and Nilkhet areas.
Yet, the streets in the areas had remained crammed with vehicles for hours since morning.
Restless commuters fidgeted inside cars, buses and auto-rickshaws, and the sweltering heat made things worse. School-goers of Dhanmondi residential area were the worst sufferers.
Students of Home Economics College blocked the Nilkhet intersection for nearly six hours starting from 10:30am, which caused huge traffic congestion on the Mirpur Road and the nearby areas, including Azimpur and Dhaka University. The traffic congestion spilled over to nearby streets and allies.
Police diverted vehicles at Science Laboratory intersection due to the demonstration that ended at 5:00pm.
Besides, major thoroughfares such as Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Hatirjheel and Panthapath intersection also saw gridlocks yesterday morning.
“I started from my Kalyanpur home around 11:00pm to go to Shahbagh. I thought traffic would be light. But the 30-minute journey took two hours,” said Raisul Islam, a trader.
Jahedul Islam lives on Dhanmondi-28. He left home around 9:15am to go to the Board Office at Bakshibazar.
“I got on a bus from Sukrabad at 9:30am. When I reached Labaid Hospital, it was already 11:30am,” he said.
Jahedul said he got off the bus and headed towards his destination on foot.
Soumen, who lives at a mess in Adabor, said he started for his sister's house in Jhigatola on a rickshaw. “But I had to leave the rickshaw near Dhanmondi-15 due to severe traffic jam,” he said.
Traffic Sergeant Asadur in Farmgate said the gridlock was caused by the road blockade by the students of Home Economics College.
In an effort to ease the city's nagging traffic congestion, the government in 2010 divided the capital into seven zones and fixed separate weekly holidays for shops, shopping arcades and other commercial establishments.
Of the seven, the zone-4 includes Karwan Bazar, Kathalbagan, Hatirpul, Manik Mia Avenue, Rajabazar, Indira Road, Monipuripara, Tejturibazar, Tejkunipara, Farmgate, a section of Tejgaon, Nilkhet, Kataban, Elephant Road, Kalabagan, Sukrabad, Sobhanbagh, New Elephant Road, Dhanmondi, Hazaribagh, Jigatala, Pilkhana, Rayerbazar and a part of Lalmatia.
Congestion in the areas is usually less on Tuesdays compared to that of other days and residents can move more comfortably. But the picture was different yesterday as the roads were clogged with vehicles.
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