The Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh on Sunday demanded improved city bus services and separate bus lanes to solve the traffic congestion crisis in the Dhaka city.
At a press conference, they also demanded removal of smaller vehicles from the main roads and controlling the traffic system following scientific methods.
The association, a non-government organisation working on passenger rights, held the conference titled 鈥楥risis of public transport is the main source of severe congestion in Dhaka: citizens鈥� relief鈥� at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital, said a press release issued by the association.
In a written statement, the association secretary general, Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, said that the citizens were suffering immensely for traffic congestion as none of the stakeholders in the transport sector followed any rules.
Quoting research conducted by Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, he said that the estimated cost of the financial loss caused by traffic gridlock was Tk 50,000 crore.
The association pointed at movement of unfit buses with rickety bodies, lack of space and cleanliness inside buses, lack of facilities for elderly people, women and people with disabilities to get inside buses, misbehaviour of the bus staff, the presence of a large number of cars and vehicles under ridesharing services due to lack of public transports, manual traffic control, the absence of traffic signals and bus stoppage systems as main reasons for the situation.聽聽
For easing traffic gridlock in the capital, Mozammel said that first of all bus route rationalisation for company-based buses and separate lanes for bus systems should be established.
In the Dhaka city, out of around four crore trips made by people about 38 per cent were covered by walking, he said.
The association alleged that even after repeated recommendations to improve the public transport system the government did not pay heed and spent thousands of crores on different costly projects like elevated roads, flyovers and mass transit lines.
These infrastructures, they continued to allege, encouraged the use of cars which turned traffic congestion in the capital severe.
For easing traffic congestion situation in the capital, the association recommended the improved city bus system, separate bus lanes, ban on registration of smaller vehicles including motorbikes, movement of paddle-run rickshaws, easy bikes and other slow-moving vehicles on main roads, parking, and loading and unloading of passengers on main roads, free footpaths, making use of zebra crossing, footbridge and underpass mandatory, introduction of a modern traffic control system, formation of teams of experts for monitoring the situation and giving solutions and setting up of bus stoppages across the city.聽
