Enforcement of traffic rules: Need of the hour

The rate of road accidents in the capital city has been quite high for some time. Vehicles violating traffic signals, traveling on the opposite side/wrong side of the road, speeding and reckless driving, and illegal parking are common in the capital as there is reluctance among road users to follow traffic rules because they know that they generally do not have to face the dire consequences for not following traffic rules. Violation of traffic rules, reckless and aggressive behaviour of all road users, including motorised and non-motorised vehicles and pedestrians, are some reasons for the high road accident rate in Dhaka. Enforcing traffic rules may help to curb the road crash rate and also help to generate revenue for the city.
It is quite difficult to escape the law in the developed cities after violating the traffic rules. The severity of the consequence of violating traffic rules encourages road users to abide by the rules and drive more sensibly. Traffic violators are hardly penalised in Dhaka, and this must change as it entices people to violate traffic rules. Enforcing traffic rules will not only help to reduce the road crash rate but also help to reduce congestion and improve traffic operation.
In developed cities, money that is received as fines from traffic violators is used for maintenance of roads and enhancing the capacity of the traffic police system, such as acquiring radar or laser gun to measure speed of traveling vehicles, installing red light camera and acquiring other necessary tools and technology to enforce traffic law. Several roads in Dhaka are in poor condition due to lack of maintenance for several years. In addition, the capacity of the traffic police in Dhaka maybe limited due to a shortage of manpower and modern equipment, tools, vehicles and technology to catch traffic signal violators and speed-limit violators. Enforcing traffic rules will provide an extra source of revenue for the city, which may be used for maintenance purposes and to upgrade and enhance the capacity of the traffic police force. Therefore, to reduce mayhem on the roads in Dhaka, there is no other option but to enforce the traffic rules.

The writer is a transportation engineer working in Thailand.