Worsening traffic congestion in Dhaka
Traffic jam has turned our daily trips through Dhaka into something of a nightmare during this Ramadan. And the road conditions are only expected to aggravate with the Eid-ul-Fitr approaching. The horrendous congestion is taking a toll on the life of the residents and daily commuters.
According to a World Bank report, in the last 10 years, the average traffic speed in Dhaka has dropped from 21 kilometres per hour (kmph) to 7 kmph, and by 2035, the speed might drop to 4 kmph—which is slower than the walking speed. The report further stated that the time wasted in traffic jam amounts to billions of dollars annually, which obviously is a huge loss for the economy.
Poor urban planning and traffic management system in the city can be blamed for such a frustrating situation. I think the commuters and even the traffic police should become more conscious about maintaining traffic rules, otherwise the construction of all the flyovers and metro rail, meant for mitigating the traffic, would only go in vain.
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