BSS, Chittagong :
Traffic congestion on most of the areas in the port city has intensified from the 3rd week of Ramadan, causing intolerable sufferings to the commuters and city dwellers.
Traffic Department of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) could not control the gridlocks even after taking special measures and deploying additional traffic police at significant points from 12th of the Ramadan.
The traffic police held the increasing number of seasonal rickshaw pullers ahead of the Eid as the main cause behind the gridlocks in the city.
The commuters, iftar shoppers as well as pedestrians were forced to remain stranded on the city streets for hours on Monday.
The most congested areas included Baharddarhat, Muradpur, GEC Circle, Agrabad Badamtoli, CEPZ, New Market, Sholoshahor, Number 2 Gate, Anderkilla and Chawkbazar.
At Agrabad ,GEC, Sholoshahor, Number 2 Gate, Agrabad and Muradpur points, many commuters were seen taking iftar in buses as they could not reach their destinations before the Iftar time.
The rush on the roads starts increasing from 2 pm mainly due to the shopping crowd and turns into a jam-packed state from 5 pm to 7 pm as during this period, the city dwellers come out of their house to buy Iftar items. Besides, the staff and workers of
different offices and factories rush to their homes during this period on boarding rickshaws and other vehicles, which further make the city roads jam-packed.
Traffic police sources said rampant occupying of footpaths on different important roads by the hawkers and street vendors, makeshift outlets of different hotels and restaurants on the footpaths and streets are the major reasons behind the traffic congestion during the month of Ramadan.
The on-duty traffic personnel have virtually nothing to do for easing the traffic rather just witnessing the congestion.
Talking to BSS Mizanur Rahman, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Traffic police said they continued tries to ease sufferings to the commuters and city dwellers. “
Traffic department has taken additional measures to reduce the suffering of city dwellers after 10th Ramadan, he added.
