Reza Mahmud :
Disciplines in the public transport sector still a far cry due to lack of sufficient space in bus stoppages in the capital city.
“There is lack of sufficient space in the bus stoppages in capital Dhaka. It is a big reason behind all the anarchies. There are huge spaces to establish bus-bay but the authorities concern are indifferent in this vital issue,” Khandaker Enayetullah, Secretary General of Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Samity, told The New Nation.
“It pushes the bus drivers to stop buses here and there for boarding and dropping passengers, which creates traffic gridlock and anarchies in the city streets,” he said.
Concerned sources said there are huge spaces remaining unused in the street side from Abullahpur to Khilkhet areas. But the authorities are indifferent to make bus bays in these areas. The passengers and the bus drivers are sufferings from the lack of sufficient spaces in bus stoppages.
“We are repeatedly telling the city corporations and the authorities concern that there is no lack of lands to establish bus stoppages in the city, but there is a lack of honesty to do this,” said Khandaker Enayetullah.
He said, while the drivers do not get enough space to stop the bus they use to stop buses in the roadside. Sometimes, they are driven out by traffic police which push them (drivers) to do hurry and it creates risks for the passengers who are boarding in to the bus. Sometimes, it creates accidents.
Dhaka Transport Co-ordination Authority (DTCA) is working to bring discipline in transport sector in the city.
When contacted, Traffic Engineer (Deputy Secretary) Md. Anisur Rahman told The New Nation, “There are some problems in the sector, mostly for the indiscipline of motor labourers. The drivers use to stop buses in the middle of the main roads to load passengers. It creates unbearable anarchies in the roads.”
He said DTCA is trying to remove the problems.
Anisur Rahman said the traffic division of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has identified 140 points as bus stoppages. The DMP has given responsibility to Dhaka south and Dhaka north city corporations to mark the points to use as bus stoppages.
“The DSCC has been got responsibility to mark 70 bus stoppages while the DNCC also got the same numbers. The city corporations have started to mark the points as the stipulated bus stoppages. It will bring some relief for the people by curbing grid-lock and other anarchies,” Anisur Rahman said.
Another official from transport division of DSCC preferring anonymity said that the city corporation has taken initiative to establish 40 modern bus stoppages in its jurisdiction.
It has started work for 17 of them. It has a plan to make passengers sheds and other facilities in those stoppages.
When contacted, DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon told The New Nation, “The government on September 9 formed a 10-member coordination committee to remove anarchies in transportations in the capital.”
The committee has formed for bus route rationalisation and bringing all public buses under a fixed number of companies with a view to bringing public transport in the capital under discipline, he added.
The DSCC mayor said, “We are trying to identify the problems and the probable solutions. We have started survey in this issue. The committee will start necessary work to the point soon.”
Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon has been made convener and panel mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation joint convener of the committee.
