Dhaka to get 64 parking spots temporarily: DTCA
Amid an acute crisis of parking space in the city, Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) has approved 64 parking spots on a temporary basis.
The approval was given yesterday at DTCA’s 13th board meeting, held at Nagar Bhaban of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and presided over by Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.
The decision comes fifteen days into the enforcement of Road Transport Act-2018, according to which, no vehicle is allowed to park or load and offload goods or pick up and drop off passengers at any place not designated for the purpose.
Violators would be fined Tk 5,000.
However, only a handful of commercial buildings in the city have parking spaces. For buses, there are no designated parking space or terminal in the capital. Therefore, many vehicles remain parked on roads, causing congestion.
At yesterday’s meeting, a decision was also taken to shift all inter-district bus terminals of Dhaka city upon ensuring alternative places outside Dhaka.
Quader said the drive against illegal easy-bikes, battery-run rickshaws and non-motorised vehicles have lost momentum amid worsening dengue situation in the country.
At DTCA’s 12th meeting on June 19, a special committee led by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sayeed Khokon was formed to remove illegal vehicles from the streets and free footpaths from grabbers within two months.
But the move did not bring expected results.
The transport minister said both the north and south city corporations will intensify drives against illegal occupation of footpaths and such vehicles.
Talking to journalists, a DTCA official said Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has initially proposed 68 places for on-street parking but DTCA scrapped four spots in Uttara, as these were found unsuitable for parking.
Some of these parking spots have already been leased out, while leasing of the other places is underway, he said.
He, however, could not specify how many cars would be accommodated in the selected parking spots.
Of the 64 on-street parking spaces, 31 spots fall under Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) area and 33 are under Dhaka South.
Both Dhaka mayors -- Atiqul Islam (DNCC) and Sayeed Khokon (DSCC), Narayanganj city mayor Selina Hayat Ivy, Gazipur mayor Md Jahangir Alam and Narayanganj-2 lawmaker Nazrul Islam Babu, among others, were present at the meeting.
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