The New Nation - Internet Edition

A couple of days back I was on a bus-ride on my way to Rampura via Malibagh More. The bus was approaching form the Rajarbagh Police Line end. At the More point it was, as usual, a big jam but in the words of co-passengers it was not that long as it usually expected. Even then it took us exactly 40 minutes to reach Mouchak point and turn to the North towards Rampura.

Why does it so happen? What is wrong there?

Firstly, here at this point it is a 'T' shaped crossing. That is movement from one side naturally keeps the other side in halt. Moreover, the traffic volume is perhaps more dense than many other points of the city. Therefore, the road-space vehicle ratio is relatively thin which makes easy/speedy movement of vehicle near impossible. The position is the same at Mouchak point - the entry point for most vehicles coming from the West/Northern part of the city.

Secondly, the manual traffic management is the worst here - next to Farmgate.

As to the remedy, an East-West bound flyover from Moghbazar to Rajarbagh with provisions for approaches from the South at Malibagh and North at Mouchak be constructed.

Thirdly, the Traffic Police bosses should go for mechanical control/management of the vehicles at those twin points, which are virtually the gateway, and out-passes for all sorts of transport for the vast area of the city.

The transport planners (controllers too) must realise the cost of times that being washed out in transit at those points. One does not need to be a rocket scientist to sum out the amount of loss in terms of production/work hours that are lost on the jam-wheel there. It is as simple as that we can not afford it further.

Kalpana Choudhury

Azimpur, Dhaka.