Dhaka city has long been suffering from damning traffic congestion without any solution in sight. This is because actually it has hitherto been nobody's business. The easiest ways have never been tried; rather utopian ideas such as maglev train, metro-rail etc etc have been fond fantasies till date. But the
first thing most needed was just enforcing law and discipline and doing away with anarchy on the streets and highways. But it has been a far cry since none, bureaucracy or politicians, have ever been serious about that; rather the streets and highways in and around dhaka have been chosen as the arenas of demonstrating power and authority.
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second thing is to remove manually driven and small size vehicles from the road, which also the men in power and position did not want.
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third is the absolute callousness of the authorities concerned about the after effect of according permission to set up shopping malls, schools and colleges in every nook and corner of the city at random.
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fourth is the absolute imprudence in creating plots without alloting sufficient space for the transport vehicles and the pedestrians to move comfortably.
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fifth is the ususal greed active behind the generosity in taking no measures to shrink the number of junk and age-worn car-bus-truck in the city. This has been, of course, in collaboration with the revenue department without any visionary long term objectives to ease congestive atmosphere in the dhaka traffic system.
Needless to say that the traffic congestion in Dhaka city could be by far the better had those lapses on the part of the authorities concer did not happen.
Besides, the easiest way to ease traffic congestion is to introduce big and double decker buses at least in the main streets and highways and a few more flyovers in the city. The elevation of (or by-passing along the DND embankment on the north of the city) the rail track from Kamalapur to Airport station could be a great help.
To ease suffocating traffic congestion in a short period, introduction of big-bodied/double decker buses seems most essential. The example of modern cities of east Asia can be followed with right earnest. Until, and even after, mega-plans are implemented, this is undoubtedly the easiest way to at least mitigate the problem to great extent.
Another program, albeit big and long-term but not impossible, is to replace the crowdy and congested areas with 12/15 storeyed apartment blocks with all civic and urban facilities. This could leave the residents with sufficient breathing space including walkways adorned with urban forests and foliage. The REHAB could play a commendable role in this program if sponsored by the government. Especially inhabitants of western and eastern flanks of the city could enjoy great relief and comfort could this program make way provided they extend their hands with goodwill and the prudence.
Those are my humble suggestion and request to both the city fathers and also those who really want the perennial traffic and environmental chaos done away with. I also request all concerend to resist the temptation of indulging in daydreams of introducing maglev train or metro rail because by the time those projects, if at all see the light of day, Dhaka will become the city of 20 million people and then every problem will go beyond the reach of all.
