Bad weather worsens traffic disorders

Long-suffering city commuters were stuck in severe traffic jam on major thoroughfares yesterday due to adverse weather conditions.
Tailbacks have become a regular occurrence in city life nowadays especially since the beginning of Ramadan.
Shahabuddin took his car from Uttara residence and reached Farmgate in two-and-a-half hours.
"I had to spend around one-and-a-half hours to negotiate the distance from Banani to Farmgate, which is usually a 30-minute trip," he said.
Arifur Rahman started from Gulshan-2 around 10:30am in a CNG-run three-wheeler and reached Farmgate at 1:00pm. In normal traffic, it is a 45-minute drive.
Hundreds of commuters were stranded on both sides of Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue around 2:00pm as they were waiting for buses for hours.
Incessant rains made their suffering even worse as they found only a few buses plying. The vehicles approaching them were already packed with passengers.
Left without option, the stranded commuters were seen making a dash for the crammed buses. Some of them even climbed up the buses' roofs, while many others were seen hanging from the doors.
Kalpana Alam, a student of Northern University, was waiting for over an hour till 2:30pm at Farmgate as she could not catch any vehicle to Mirpur-1.
But when she saw one, she could not manage to get into as it was packed with passengers.
"Normally it is relatively easier to get a bus from here around 1:00pm, but today I have been suffering for hours due to shortage of buses," noted Kalpana.
Mamunul Alam, a resident of Mirpur, took a bus on his way to Shahbagh. He had to wait over one hour at Khamarbari at 5:30pm to cross the Farmgate traffic signal, which usually takes five minutes.
Hundreds of people were waiting for buses at Gulistan intersection at 3:00pm. They occupied almost half of the road in front of the Bangabandhu National Stadium impatiently glancing over each other's shoulders expecting their buses to approach.
However, buses were scarcest on the road as most of them were stuck at the traffic gridlock in Motijheel.
Many passengers got off buses and started for home walking around three to four kilometres as they considered it better to reach earlier.
Like many others, Anisur Rahman--a resident of Kazipara in Mirpur--had to break his fasting in the bus.
"I had to take my iftar on the way as I failed to reach home before the Maghrib prayers, though I left my office at Board Bazar in Gazipur around 3:00pm," said Anisur.
Joint Commissioner (traffic) Mahbubur Rahman attributed the day's tailbacks to rain as it slows down the speed of vehicles.
Besides, the rush of commuters before iftar also worsens the traffic situation in the afternoon, he added.