Reducing traffic jam

Here can be no question that we need a boost in our mass transport system considering the growing population of this city. Hence the government's initiative to overhaul the system by forming a company to oversee all bus operations to provide people with better service and reduce traffic congestion is certainly welcome news. The plan includes introducing at least 105 modern buses plying major routes and the goal is to carry 10,000 people an hour. All that is very well and good except for the fact that the plan seems not to take into account all the other underlying factors besides lack of adequate public transport that have contributed to making Dhaka one of the most gridlocked cities in the world.

Here are some reminders why we have indefinite traffic jams. While our roads are the same in terms of length and width, the number of vehicles has increased exponentially over the years with private cars occupying at least 70 percent of road space according to research. Then we have assorted vehicles of various shapes and speeds plying on the same road which ultimately slows down traffic significantly. There is also the problem of enforcing traffic rules with many vehicle drivers getting away with major traffic violations. A major offence is the practice of buses stopping randomly at spots that are not designated bus stops but convenient to pick up passengers to fill the seats. This major traffic violation goes on under the noses of the traffic police and causes acute disruptions in the traffic flow. Last but not least, one of the overarching reasons for traffic jams is the glaring lack of parking space for schools, hospitals, malls and commercial buildings. Save a few establishments, most buildings do not have parking areas which forces people to park randomly on the streets, narrowing the spaces for traffic to move and creating the suffocating gridlocks.

Unless these factors are addressed first, such grandiose schemes to only increase the number of public buses in the city, no matter how well intentioned, may not solve the traffic problem.