Staff Reporter:
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has taken a set of measures to ensure traffic discipline in the capital city during Ramadan and safe road travels during the upcoming Eid holidays.
As part of this move, the road transport regulator gave several instructions to the stakeholders at a meeting at the BRTA headquarters in the capital on Thursday with its Chairman Noor Mohammad Majumder in the chair.
Meeting sources said the BRTA issued strict directives to stop illegal car parking on roads, and the sale of iftar occupying roads, two prime reasons for high traffic congestion during Ramadan.
Speaking about the meeting purpose, BRTA officials said usually steps are usually taken every year to make the Eid journey hassle-free and control traffic jams during Ramadan.
Like previous times, discussion was held this year as well to ensure a safe, smooth, and hassle-free road journey during the Eid time, they added.
Contacted, BRTA Chairman Noor Mohammad Majumder told the Daily Sun, “People usually face additional traffic congestion during Ramadan as many floating traders do business occupying roads this time, while many park their cars occupying road spaces. Police, city corporations, shop owners association, and BRTA mobile court will jointly work to stop these irregularities, and ensure a smooth traffic movement.”
At the meeting, the police were asked to identify the traffic-prone areas and take proper measures to mitigate traffic jams during Ramadan.
At the same time, executive magistrates of the BRTA, two city corporations, and the Roads and Highways Department will enhance monitoring to ensure uninterrupted vehicular movements before and after the Eid-ul-Fitr, sources present at the meeting said.
Moreover, a round-the-clock central control room will be opened at the BRTA headquarters to monitor transport issues centering on the Eid festival.
Apart from this, three vigilance teams will be formed at the Gabtoli, Sayedabad, and Mohakhali bus terminals. At the same time, a monitoring cell will be constituted to oversee the activities of these vigilance teams.
Additionally, BRTA executive magistrates will conduct mobile courts if any bus company charges extra fare from passengers in time for the upcoming Eid journey, as per the meeting agenda.
Besides, all the deputy commissioners, and superintendents of police, will be asked to take effective steps to stop the plying of three-wheelers, easy bikes, autorickshaws, and other unfit vehicles on regional highways to prevent road accidents.
Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, general secretary of the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, told the Daily Sun that the BRTA holds such meetings as a routine duty but no significant outcome is visible so far.
“Traffic congestion can be stopped using technology. But in our country, it has not been adopted yet. The BRTA and Traffic Police are doing their usual duties. But they should do something extraordinary to ensure traffic discipline on roads,” he stated.
Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation General Secretary Osman Ali, who attended the meeting, told the Daily Sun, “We have placed some proposals to control traffic congestion on the roads. We proposed stopping the plying of small vehicles and unfit vehicles, and evicting hawkers from footpaths to curb traffic congestion on the roads during the Eid.”
