Staff Reporter :
Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba), a voluntary social organization promoting Bangladesh’s environmental protection along with 12 other associations on Monday said that only 5 per cent private cars occupy 70 per cent of Dhaka’s street.
They demanded enough and standard bus service on all routes in the capital and also control of the plying of private cars.
These demands were raised from a human chain programme titled ‘ensure enough bus on all routes and control private car’ held in front of the National museum yesterday.
The speakers at the human chain demanded that all communication related policy makers, consultants and officials should have to be compelled to use public vehicles for transportations.
Mentioning that almost all buses of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) have been leased to banks and other organizations, they demanded for cancelling of lease system and using those buses for public transport by curbing corruption and upgrading the management.
Poba’s Chairman Abu Naser Khan, presiding over the programme, said private car-based transportation is the main cause of the capital’s traffic problem. City’s five per cent residents who own private vehicles use 70 per cent roads. As a result, the traffic jam in the capital is common which’s cost about Tk 10 million per day. About 200 new cars are hitting the city streets every day for personal use.
He said there are not enough buses on any route. As a result, people are forced to risk their lives to get in the bus. Many are forced to use private cars because they do not want to risk getting in the bus to avoid accidents. The number of private cars, motorcycles and CNG-powered auto-rickshaws is increasing rapidly.
Speakers at the human chain claimed that traffic congestion is intensifying in the capital. In order to make Dhaka livable for all, it is necessary to control private cars and ensure adequate public buses on all routes to reduce traffic congestion. Therefore, it is important to adopt and implement a far-reaching and integrated plan. This is because a public transport bus can carry more than 50 passengers while two passengers occupy the road in two private cars. Private car-centric communication systems need to be reduced to reduce the hassle of getting to work.
They said at present there is no conducive environment for walking on the roads of the capital. Going somewhere means misery. Going to the office on time is a regular embarrassment. The city is now unusable due to traffic jams.
