CCC to start paid parking in port city

Chattogram now ranks as the 12th slowest city in the world, according to a study published as a working paper by the US-based National Bureau of Economic Research.

Poor traffic movement, prolonged gridlocks on major roads in the port city, and lack of parking spaces are largely the reasons leading to this situation.

Commuters, especially office goers and students, are the worst sufferers due to haphazard parking on roads, which often leads to gridlock on major thoroughfares.

City dwellers have long been demanding the authorities to take measures to overcome the port city's traffic management woes.

Against this backdrop, Chattogram City Corporation and the traffic department of Chattogram Metropolitan Police have taken a joint initiative to ease the suffering of commuters by introducing a paid parking system and marking parking and no parking zones on busy roads.

CCC Mayor Rezaul Karim Chowdhury and CMP officials have agreed to a proposal in this regard, said CCC sources.

The move came after some ward councillors expressed concerns over public sufferings due to traffic mismanagement and vehicular congestion on the port city roads during the 32nd CCC general meeting on September 27.

High officials of CMP traffic department later called on the mayor at his office on Sunday, where he asked them for a combined initiative to ensure traffic management.

"We sought cooperation from the city corporation to free the footpaths and ease traffic congestion on roads," said Tareq Ahmed, deputy commissioner (traffic-west) of CMP.

"The mayor has given us a proposal to introduce a paid parking system in the city. We will work together in this regard," he added.

Confirming the matter, the mayor said both CCC and CMP officials would work jointly to this end. "We will introduce a paid parking system for the first time in the city along with designated parking and no parking zones," he said.

"We expect the city will soon come under a good traffic system following the initiative," the mayor added.