Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque :
Both are well connected to other cities through public transport and experiencing difficult management of traffic movement. Traffic management in Kolkata is way better than Dhaka . “Dhaka and kolkata both are metropolitan city but Dhaka has facing poor traffic system in other hand kolkatas traffic system better than Dhaka.”
To cite a report:”Public transport in Dhaka is virtually non-existent and shittiest in South Asia. Because in Bangladesh, govt. and Dhaka city corporation are puppet against the bus owner thugs as they have been opposing any new attempt to introduce better big buses. In Kolkata ‘One of the most important of these changes is closure of the Brabourne Road flyover, which carries huge traffic round the clock from Howrah. The transport system of Kolkata is a mix of modern mass rapid transport and the old transport modalities like the rickshaws. Kolkata is connected to the rest of India by the National Highways, the extensive network of the Indian Railways, and also by air. Most traffic to North-East India routes via Kolkata.
2 deputy commissioners, 8 assistant commissioners, inspectors, sergeants,assistant sub-inspectors, constables etc. work in this department to help motorists reach their destination safely in minimum time, in a city having roughly 10% roadspace.
As for set up total city is divided into 25 Traffic Guards. These Traffic Guards implement the policing with regard to traffic in the city. The Traffic Control Room functions round the clock to co-ordinate the field works of the fourteen Traffic Guards. The Traffic Control Room is responsible for traffic arrangements for special occasions, as well as, for piloting.
The Fatal Squad of this unit investigates cases of serious street accidents involving deaths. Road safety programmes are also organized by the Traffic Department. The Traffic Training School imparts training to the traffic police personnel regarding traffic control and regulation and traffic signaling.
The traffic department in Dhaks used to function under a Deputy Commissioner of police in 1976 who was assisted by Assistant Commissioners, Traffic Inspectors and Sergeants. In 1996, positions of two Deputy Commissioners (DC, Traffic North and DC, Traffic South) were created. However, position of an Additional Commissioner, a Joint Commissioner and four Deputy Commissioners were created in 2006. Its total sanction of manpower was also raised to 3,645 in the same year.The primary duty of Traffic department is to maintain smooth flow of traffic in the city. The Traffic Control Room functions round the clock to coordinate with the field units. Assistant Commissioners of police and their teams consisted of Traffic Inspector, Sergeant and Traffic Constables form the field units. These units, indeed implement the policing with regard to Traffic in the city. In discharging its duties smoothly and professionally, traffic department keeps rapport and liaison with the Ministry of Communication, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and other concerned authorities.
Compared to Kolkata Dhaka has long been witnessing hazardous traffic movement. Traffic movement is beyond control as there are too many cars and automobiles standing still in gridlock. More There a few alternative roads. Although a number of flyovers have been constructed traffic movement is not under control. Now metro railway is under construction. Whereas kolkata has numerous flyovers, alternatives roads, trams, circular trains and underground metro railway. There kolkata is almost jam free city. ‘Kolkata Metro is the first underground Metro railway in India. It extends from Noapara near Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Air Port, Kolkata to Kavi Subhash station near Patuli, the busy North-South axis of Kolkata over a length of 27.223 kms. The Metro railway, Kolkata was constructed progressively from 1972 to 2013. Phase-I a length of 16.450 kms from DumDum to Tollygunge (Mahanayak Uttam Kumar) having been completed in 1995 and in Phase-II a length of 5.834 kms from Mahanayak Uttam Kumar to Kavi Nazrul station is completed in August-2009. The last leg upto Kavi Subhash a length of 2.851 kms has been opened in October8,2010 for commercial operation. On 10th July 2013, Metro services further extended from DumDum to Noapara(2.091 kms). Tram is operated by the Calcutta tramsway company(CTC). It is currently the only operating tram network in India and the oldest operating electric tram in Asia, running since 1902.
We may well think of Kolkata ways of managing traffic. We have come to know that urban decentralization has been taking place in Kolkata. The population of Kolkata has been in declining sewing for last couple of decades. Residential enclaves with hotel and shopping malls are situated in the locations far away from the main city. Suburbs are well connected by circular train and buses. Dhaka cannot afford to accommodate more than 20 million city dwellers. The commercial and official districts should be shifted to the outskirts like what Mahthir Mahmud did in Malaysia. Ok we can only manage floating population during office hour through a systematic traffic network covering the suburbs. The coverage of commuter railwa system should be extended.
Dr. Md. Shairul Mashreque, (Chittagong University)
