Traffic congestion during the holy month of Ramadan worsens in Dhaka, especially near shopping areas and markets, before the Eid-ul-Fitr.
Pedestrians cannot walk and vehicles cannot move smoothly due to these makeshift outlets. Over the years, the makeshift shops have been backed by political goons and police.
After the political changeover on August 5, it now becomes a big question: who is still backing the makeshift vendors?
A high official of traffic police told The Daily Observer that Law enforcers have failed to manage to regulate traffic on roads, a higher inflow of people from the rest of the country into the city puts an additional pressure.
Almost all roads and streets in Dhaka are now occupied by motorcycles and batter-run rickshaws, intensifying traffic congestion. Non-battery or human-pedalled rickshaws are also growing in numbers, only to make things worse.
Many come to Dhaka this month expecting to earn some extra money before the Eid-ul-Fitr. Some work as rickshaw pullers in different parts of the city and some as street vendors. Some work as day labourers.
Temporarily migrant women and even beggars rush to the city. Thus, most of them do odd jobs and live in urban slums in poor and unhealthy conditions.
The roads and streets in front of shopping centres are also occupied by rickshaws parked haphazardly. Again, as most of the shopping centres do not have adequate space for car parking, nearby streets are used for parking, sometimes narrowing road space for movement of other vehicles.
Street vendors have made things worse. Backed by local political leaders and a section of law enforcement-agency members, these vendors have made the movements of daily commuters difficult, especially in busy areas and peak times.
Office-goers and others have to negotiate awful traffic and congestion due to occupation of footpaths by illegal vendors. In some areas, congestions at intersections are more as they also set up their stalls on main roads, creating bottlenecks. As Eid is approaching, the number of these vendors is also increasing on roadsides and even in corners of many busy roads.
There is a common trend in the country that road digging projects usually get going immediately before the rainy season only to enhance the sufferings of the commuters and residents. When the work can be completed in winter or dry season, the different agencies do not wake up to do the necessity. Similarly, many road reconstructions or works of utility maintenance start immediately before Ramadan.
Battery-run rickshaws also become a menace on roads and streets due to growing unruliness. Though the vehicle provides comfort to passengers and drivers, reckless and unruly driving has become a regular thing now, putting pedestrians and other vehicles at risk.
Like some motorcycles, many battery-run rickshaws also drive on the wrong sides and in opposite directions of roads.
Rickshaws and motorcycles are parked at various turning points and intersections of roads and streets, causing undue congestion.
The Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) on Wednesday has reported that drivers of government vehicles in Dhaka city are violating traffic laws, which is encouraging others to do the same and setting a negative precedent.
Additionally, in many instances, government vehicle drivers misbehave with traffic police officers while they attempt to enforce the law, sometimes necessitating criminal action.
In this situation, all government vehicle drivers are urged to strictly adhere to traffic laws to restore order in Dhaka's traffic system.
