The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Metro Regional Transport Committee (RTC), redesigned traffic network in the city reducing traffic jam at the 138 crisscrossing city routes to 40 for running buses and minibuses under collective management.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner and chairman of the RTC, Naim Ahmed formally gave the go ahead to the updated traffic system at a function yesterday saying that the step has been taken to maintain discipline on the city streets.

The Caretaker Government had launched the programme to restore traffic network in the capital by reducing traffic jam. Earlier on August 28, Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed inaugurated the long-awaited implementation of a 20-year multimodal Strategic Transport Plan (STP) for the capital.

"Traffic congestion is a great problem as it wastes much time. The objective of opening 40 revised routes is to maintain discipline on the city streets," he said at the launching ceremony of 40 revised routes at the National Tennis Complex in the city.

Naim also asked the owners to set aside some seats for women or disabled persons in each passenger transport.

The city police boss noted that the transport owners have the responsibility to restrain their drivers from stopping vehicles indiscriminately on the street, which creates traffic congestions.

"Stern legal actions would be taken against vehicles or persons found creating traffic jams by stopping buses or minibuses indiscriminately on the streets," the DMP Commissioner said as a note of warning.

He said that traffic police would strictly monitor so that no

bus/minibus could ply on the streets other than their designated routes.

Under the new system, individual owners have to form transport companies or cooperatives to run their passenger vehicles.

Chaired by Joint Commissioner (Traffic) Jasimuddin, Assistant Director of BRTA Shafiqul Islam, Additional DMP Commissioner Abdus Salam and Additional Executive Director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board Dr M Salahuddin attended.