Solving traffic chaos proving difficult: Mayor Khokon
Dhaka South City Mayor Sayeed Khokon yesterday said finding solutions to the city’s traffic problems are proving to be difficult, as service-providing agencies have failed to keep up with development.
“Although the city saw huge economic growth in last decade, capacity of service and utility providers did not grow accordingly,” he observed while speaking at a roundtable.
Engineers Institute, Bangladesh (IEB) and Nagar Unnayan Sangbadik Forum, Bangladesh (NUSFB) organised the discussion, titled “What should be done to bring discipline in public transport” at IEB auditorium.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has directed us to make service agencies skillful enough and ensure coordination among them,” the mayor added.
About initiatives to streamline public transport services, the mayor said, “The government formed a committee [in September last year], headed by me, to solve the problems in public transport sector. The committee had sought two years from city dwellers. And within this time, changes will be visible,” the mayor said.
He said all the buses plying in the city will be brought under six companies, and 22 specific routes within this time.
Prof Mizanur Rahman, director of Accident Research Institute at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), said there are numerous problems -- including violation of traffic laws -- in the transport sector which need to be fixed.
Transport expert SM Salehuddin said the city does not have enough bus stoppages and no central traffic management system. Neither the Strategic Transportation Plans (STP) have been followed nor directives given by the Prime Minister’s Office following the safe road demonstrations last year were implemented, he said.
IEB Honorary General Secretary Khandaker Manjur Morshed and Vice-president of the organisation, Md Nuruzzaman, Prabir Kumar Ray, deputy commissioner (traffic-north) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police; Prof Adil Mohammed Khan, general secretary of Bangladesh Institute of Planners; Nagar Unnayan Sangbadik Forum Bangladesh President Amitosh Pal and General Secretary Abdul Matin, also spoke at the event, among others.
Habibur Rahman, chairman of IEB’s Mechanical Department, chaired the discussion.