Both ways of Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue grind to a standstill yesterday as high number of vehicles and poor driving and parking trigger gridlocks. Photo: Shafiqul Alam

The government will launch a special drive in the city today in a bid to ease the worsening traffic congestion by seizing unfit, unlicensed and old vehicles plying the roads.
Mobile courts will hit the city streets as part of the crackdown to drive out all illegal modes of transport from roads and to bring order in the traffic movement during Ramadan when the traffic situation takes a grave turn.
An 11-member committee headed by additional secretary of the communications ministry Shafiq Alam Mehdi was formed yesterday during a meeting to supervise the operation of mobile courts and other activities for improving the traffic situation.
“The mobile courts will not spare anybody, even the government officials or public representatives,” Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain told journalists after presiding over the meeting at the ministry.
He said motor vehicles and rickshaws do not follow the traffic rules and ply in a chaotic manner, causing congestion. “Our first priority is to improve the nagging traffic situation by driving out unfit and unlicensed vehicles,” he added.
Abul Hossain could not say how many mobile courts would start operating today. “It depends on the availability of magistrates,” he said, adding he requested the government to provide him with magistrates to operate the mobile courts.
The meeting discussed ways and means to reduce the gridlock by going tough against the illegal vehicles through introducing mobile courts.
Checking illegal parking, ensuring bus stoppage at only specific stoppages, preventing people from piling of construction materials on roadsides, construction of dedicated lanes for buses and minibuses and eviction of hawkers from the streets are included in the crackdown plan.
The minister urged all concerned to work in a coordinated way and asked Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to take actions against the drivers having fake licences and documents.
About keeping the educational institutions of the capital closed or changing their timing during Ramadan to ease the traffic jams, he said the education ministry can take measures in this regard.
Among others, Communications Secretary ASM Ali Kabir, DMP Commissioner AKM Shahidul Haq, Executive Director of BTCB ABM Shahjahan, BTRC Chairman Ehsanul Haq and DG of Railway Belayet Hossain attended the meeting.