The same old tale of tailback at Bailey Road

A tailback in front of the Viqarunnessa School at Bailey Road yesterday.Photo: STAR

On any fairly working day, if you have any business around the Bailey Road at noon, always be sure to start early from home. It would be wise to keep at least extra 30 minutes in your schedule because from around 12pm to 1pm the area surrounding the Bailey Road remains choked-up with traffic.
The reason behind the gridlock is mainly due to the parked cars near the Viqarunnisa School and College. During school hours both sides of the streets remain occupied with parked cars.
The situation worsens around noon when the first shift ends and second shift starts. Drivers coming to pick up and drop off the students park the cars haphazardly near the entrance, narrowing the Baily Road.
Although Bailey Road is a one-way street, school coaches go both ways, adding to the nuisance, increasing misery of the commuters and thereby affecting the entire surrounding area.
Areas stretching from Bailey Road, Monowara hospital area, Ramna Police Station, Magbazar intersection, Bara Magbazar wirelessgate, alleys near Mouchak and Shiddheshwari are seriously affected by the jam. Locals blame the school authority for not taking necessary measures to end the problem.
During noon rickshaws and CNG auto rickshaws decline to go around the school area. If at all they do, one must pay almost double the usual fare.
Farhana Yasmin, a homemaker from Nayatola, Maghbazar is one of the victims of this terrible traffic jam. She goes to pick up her 10-year-old daughter from the Motijheel Government Girls High School. On her way she has to cross the Mouchak and Magbazar intersections where she encounters the fallout of the gridlock.
“It is a routine experience for us. Almost every time I spend around 30 minutes extra just to cross the Mouchak and Maghbazar crossing and my daughter waits for me at the school”, she said
“The entire area remain blocked during noon as the authority turns a deaf ear to the problem while my daughter is forced to wait for me after closing hours”, she said.
“I start 30 to 40 minutes early from home every day. What else can I do”, she said.
Kamrul Islalm, a businessman from Goran, was forced to change his daily route to Farmgate because of the traffic jam. His daily route was Goran to Malibagh crossing by rickshaw then to Farmgate by bus. Now he has to change the bus twice to reach his destination.
"Because of the jam I had to change my route. Now I go by bus to Motijheel first and then by another to Farmgate. It is a detour but still faster”, he said.
“Shiddheshawri lane near Mouchak and Wirelessgate are the two worst points. The jam around the areas at noon is terrible", he added.
Md Jashimuddin, Joint Commissioner for Traffic, Dhaka Metropolitan Police told Star City that the awful traffic jam near Viqarunni cannot be eased till the school authority cooperates.
“The chaos around the Viqarunnissa area has been going on for years. We have tried a lot but it has become a tough task to control the traffic in that area”, he said.
“After school hours the cars coming to pick up the students park disorderly, creating a gridlock which affects a vast area for long hours”, he said.
Jashimuddin added that there could be several solutions to the problem.
“The main responsibility lies with the Viqarunnisa School authority. To ease the situation they should go for a bus service for the students and establish a parking lot”, Jashimuddin added.
“If they transport students by bus it means less cars parked on the streets in a haphazard manner. Buses can be lined up on one side of the streets. If there is a parking zone then the rest of the cars can go there. I think we can manage after that”, he said.
Jashimuddin pointed out that earlier the traffic division approached the school authority for a training workshop for the students, their parents and drivers on the problem and traffic rules.
“We even proposed to arrange training sessions on our own. But the school authority did not show any interest”, he said.
Viqarunnisa authority however said it would be unfair to blame solely the school for the traffic jam in the entire area.
“We are not the only one to be blamed for the jam. The one way system is causing a gridlock instead of easing the situation”, said Tahmina Khanam, principal of the institution.
“Many vehicles use the alleys around the Baily Road as detour because of the one way system. That is one of the main reasons for the traffic jam”, she pointed out.
However the school authority is thinking of setting up a parking lot to ease the situation. Tender process has already been completed said the principal adding that its construction will begin within two months.