Friday | 17 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Friday | 17 January 2025 | Epaper

Dhaka: A city of risky roads and unsafe transports

Published : Thursday, 11 April, 2019 at 12:00 AM  Count : 471
Md Momtazur Rahman
Md Momtazur Rahman

Md Momtazur Rahman

Dhaka city has long been well-known due to its various historic events, places, foods, and clothes. But, Dhaka has now become known as 'the city of unsafe roads and unsafe transports'. Picture of mismanagement of vehicles on the roads in this mega city has become a daily reality. It is true that the incumbent government has somewhat developed the city's infrastructure. But, the government has bleakly failed to develop the management of mass transports and traffic systems of Dhaka and other metropolitan cities as well.

The home minister and the chief of Dhaka metropolitan police repeatedly stated that "there will be Zero tolerance against unfit vehicles and any violations by the derivers and owners of the vehicles on the roads of our capital city. Recently, the chief of Dhaka metropolitan police have said that "we have failed to control chaos and mismanagement of transport systems of this city". What are the root causes of this vicious mismanagement? Newspapers, seminars, reports of various organizations have repeatedly expressed concern about this malady. But there is no remedy of this disease. Rather, it seems that transport indiscipline and chaos on the roads of Dhaka is becoming drearier, more awkward, resulting in frequent deaths of many innocent pedestrians and dwellers of this city.

Last year, two students of Shahid Ramiz Uddin Cantonment College of this city were killed as a bus ran over them. The young students from various schools took to the streets and woke up in the movement and everyone was sleeping. After the widespread movement, many steps were taken to bring discipline into the mass transports of the capital. Many promises were ensured by the government. But the improvement of road safety in the last eight months is not visible.
The issue of road safety is now discussed again after the death of Abrar Ahmed Chowdhury, a student of Bangladesh University of Professionals. Transport experts said that the safety of the city's roads cannot be ensured only by planning. Rather, the government must stop extortion and unethical trade around this transport sector to ensure discipline in this sector. In fact, "the cycle involved in this trade is to create chaos in this sector" they asserted according to a newspaper. Transport experts also think that extortion in the name of various associations is a great reason behind the chaos. "In the mass transports of this capital Dhaka, this image is more horrific" as they admitted.
The government's pledge is to reach the country to a highly developing nation. The government has to restructure the transportation management and traffic systems of the capital city. If foreign investors at first step in the city, at first sight, they are able to know the condition of vehicles and transportation management system of our capital. There are numerous mass transports, which are very old with crack on body surface, plying on the new roads and streets.

It is very ridiculous. The government widened and repaired many roads in the city. The BRTA (Bangladesh Roads and Transports Authority) should permit vehicles in accordance with the capacity of roads of Dhaka. According to a newspaper report, some employees of BRTA permit the unfit vehicles by taking bribes. Hence, there is rampant corruption in BRTA that Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader stated.

A number of recommendations have been finalized for road management and road safety. The recent committee, led by the former shipping minister Shajahan Khan, finalized the draft of 111 recommendations to prevent accidents. In this regard, several committees and organizations earlier made more than 250 recommendations to reduce the risk of deaths on the road. According to the source of a newspaper, despite meetings with the past committees, the committees provided long recommendations and instructions to the experts, but there were no attempts in implementation.
We see that after any incidence, a committee is just formed. We do not see any implementation.

We came to know from a Bengali newspaper that older suggestions are incorporated in new wrapping. Even the recommendations of a meeting held in the chairmanship of the Prime Minister have not been implemented so far in bringing discipline to the streets and roads. Professor Dr Shamsul Huq is also in the committee of Shahjahan Khan and also a member of National Road Safety Council. He told to a Bengali Newspaper that "The easiest work is to recommend anything. To be difficult is to implement. So, whenever there is an accident, the committee is formed for recommendations".

The government is in power for the third term. This government should not provide only 'directions' or it should not form merely 'committees'. Rather, the respective ministries of the incumbent government must work and implement all their due assignments in time. The government must question the concerned officials of the responsible ministry and department who have failed to implement the recommendations for safe roads and mass transportations of Dhaka city.
Apparently, the government has failed to monitor the duties and assignments given to the ministry or department which is responsible in relation to the road management and transportation system in the capital. Bangladesh is among the five fastest growing economies in the world as the World Bank very recently stated. The road management and mass transportation systems of the fastest growing economy's capital city should not be chaotic or disorganized.

The writer is a professor of English and head, Department of Languages,
International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Dhaka. He can be reached at: momtazur@iubat.edu





LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
2019 marked a rise in border killings
China’s sea claims to face stiff test in 2020
India’s rising surge of ‘Hindu’ nationalism!
Renewable energy next important global power source
Is BD worried of Indian issues?
Single digit interest rate dilemma
The other side of growth and some thoughts for new year
Finance and more for SME
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: district@dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝
close