Staff Reporter :
The capital city experienced severe traffic jam on Tuesday following heavy rain for about three hours at noon. The rainwater caused key roads in the city to go under water.
Thousands of commuters suffered throughout the afternoon and evening because of water logging, which resulted long tailbacks on the busiest roads. The situation worsened when many vehicles broke down in the middle of the road and blocked traffic movement.
“Today it was difficult as there was no space on the road to surge ahead. On other days, we get some space to reach our destination,” said Md Zabed Ali, a resident of Mirpur, who uses a motorbike to commute.
Although the traffic jam is a regular phenomenon in the capital, it caused yesterday immense suffering to the dwellers at Pallabi, Mirpur, Shewrapara, Taltola, Naya Paltan, Purana Paltan, Bijoy Nagar, Dilkusha, Shahbagh, Kakrail, Malibag, Moghbazar, Karwan Bazar, Bangla Motor and Farm Gate.
Locals said the roads had become waterlogged at Pallabi to Taltola, Shantinagar, Motijheel, Fakirapool, Nilkhet, Bailey Road and Chankharpool, soon after the rain started at about 12:00 Noon.
In the afternoon, the traffic congestion crisis intensified when the office comers started journey for home. It was not possible for the traffic department to do anything in situations where vehicles were breaking down on roads, the officials said.
The commuters found their transports under knee-deep water and fought for an escape through a nagging traffic jam on the flooded streets. Only a small number of buses, mini buses and auto-rickshaws could ply on the roads, causing scarcity of transport during busy working hours.
Several motorised vehicles, including CNG-run three wheelers were seen stranded on the waterlogged roads for hours due to technical fault. Passengers of the CNG-run auto-rickshaws had a terrible time as they charged many times higher than the usual fares.
Manwar Hossain, a private university student, resident of Sewrapara standing in the water was frantically looking for a rickshaw. He, however, managed one after spending 40 minutes. He had to pay Tk 60, three times higher than the usual fare.
Witnesses said the vehicular traffic movement in these areas virtually came to a halt for more than hours, causing commuters, homebound city dwellers and travelers of the long distance routes to suffer a lot.
Many homebound people including women and children were seen to return to their residences on foot. Besides, those who had emergencies suffered a lot due to the traffic congestion, as they had to waste time in the vehicles being remained stranded for hours.
Hundreds of people were seen waiting for hours at different stoppages to catch buses where the garment workers, particularly the female passengers were the worst sufferers.
Especially, the long distant passengers bore the brunt of traffic jam and scarcity of transports.
Rabiul Alam, an official of NGO, said he hired a CNG run three-wheeler, but it cost him Tk 300 to go his home from Mirpur to Mohammadpur. Musa Miah, a resident of Shewrapara, Mirpur said, rickshaw-pullers charged Tk 50 for a ride that usually takes around Tk 10/15.
Meanwhile, the city dwellers held clogged and inadequate drainage system responsible for water logging in the city.
When asked about the issue, Mohammad Mosleh Uddin, Joint Commissioner [traffic] of the DMP, admitted that the traffic problem was caused by heavy rainfall for a few hours. However, he claimed that traffic movement returned normalcy after sunset.
The capital city experienced severe traffic jam on Tuesday following heavy rain for about three hours at noon. The rainwater caused key roads in the city to go under water.
Thousands of commuters suffered throughout the afternoon and evening because of water logging, which resulted long tailbacks on the busiest roads. The situation worsened when many vehicles broke down in the middle of the road and blocked traffic movement.
“Today it was difficult as there was no space on the road to surge ahead. On other days, we get some space to reach our destination,” said Md Zabed Ali, a resident of Mirpur, who uses a motorbike to commute.
Although the traffic jam is a regular phenomenon in the capital, it caused yesterday immense suffering to the dwellers at Pallabi, Mirpur, Shewrapara, Taltola, Naya Paltan, Purana Paltan, Bijoy Nagar, Dilkusha, Shahbagh, Kakrail, Malibag, Moghbazar, Karwan Bazar, Bangla Motor and Farm Gate.
Locals said the roads had become waterlogged at Pallabi to Taltola, Shantinagar, Motijheel, Fakirapool, Nilkhet, Bailey Road and Chankharpool, soon after the rain started at about 12:00 Noon.
In the afternoon, the traffic congestion crisis intensified when the office comers started journey for home. It was not possible for the traffic department to do anything in situations where vehicles were breaking down on roads, the officials said.
The commuters found their transports under knee-deep water and fought for an escape through a nagging traffic jam on the flooded streets. Only a small number of buses, mini buses and auto-rickshaws could ply on the roads, causing scarcity of transport during busy working hours.
Several motorised vehicles, including CNG-run three wheelers were seen stranded on the waterlogged roads for hours due to technical fault. Passengers of the CNG-run auto-rickshaws had a terrible time as they charged many times higher than the usual fares.
Manwar Hossain, a private university student, resident of Sewrapara standing in the water was frantically looking for a rickshaw. He, however, managed one after spending 40 minutes. He had to pay Tk 60, three times higher than the usual fare.
Witnesses said the vehicular traffic movement in these areas virtually came to a halt for more than hours, causing commuters, homebound city dwellers and travelers of the long distance routes to suffer a lot.
Many homebound people including women and children were seen to return to their residences on foot. Besides, those who had emergencies suffered a lot due to the traffic congestion, as they had to waste time in the vehicles being remained stranded for hours.
Hundreds of people were seen waiting for hours at different stoppages to catch buses where the garment workers, particularly the female passengers were the worst sufferers.
Especially, the long distant passengers bore the brunt of traffic jam and scarcity of transports.
Rabiul Alam, an official of NGO, said he hired a CNG run three-wheeler, but it cost him Tk 300 to go his home from Mirpur to Mohammadpur. Musa Miah, a resident of Shewrapara, Mirpur said, rickshaw-pullers charged Tk 50 for a ride that usually takes around Tk 10/15.
Meanwhile, the city dwellers held clogged and inadequate drainage system responsible for water logging in the city.
When asked about the issue, Mohammad Mosleh Uddin, Joint Commissioner [traffic] of the DMP, admitted that the traffic problem was caused by heavy rainfall for a few hours. However, he claimed that traffic movement returned normalcy after sunset.
