DHAKA CITY TRAFFIC: WHEN VIOLATION IS THE NORM

Buses at their will pick and drop passengers in the middle of a road flouting traffic rules at Shahbagh in Dhaka on Friday. — NEWAGE/Sanaul Haque

Blatant violation of traffic rules and directives continues in front of the traffic officials in Dhaka city amid a culture of impunity and lack of political will to improve the situation.

Regular traffic offences, conducted by almost each and everyone, from very important persons to common people, are what has become the commonplace in the capital.

Transport operators, vehicle owners and drivers and pedestrians are all among the violators of High Court orders and directives of different ministries and Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Unfit, modified and old rickety buses and minibuses still dominate the city traffic though the HC on August 3, 2015 asked the authorities to remove all unfit motor vehicles from roads.

Wrong lane driving defying drives has turned out to be a major reason behind traffic congestion though the HC on October 23, 2014 served show cause notices on the government and the police to explain why they should not be asked to enforce traffic rules strictly to prevent VIPs and VVIPs from wrong lane driving.

On March 5, 2012, the High Court asked the authorities not to allow motorcycle riding or driving cars on footpaths while DMP banned motorcycle running without helmets and two or more co-riders.

Illegal and haphazard parking of all modes of transports is what has become quite normal in the capital although HC on September 13, 2015 asked the government and police to take necessary measures to stop these parking and use of hydraulic horns and prevent sound pollution in the capital.

Private vehicles have continued to use hooters, hydraulic horns and beacon lights defying a DMP ban imposed in May 2016.

Unregistered battery-run three-wheelers ‘easy bikes’ are still plying in city’s lanes and by-lanes at Farmgate, Manda and Khilgaon violating a home affairs ministry directive given in 2010.

Using tainted glasses in vehicles is still common while the home ministry issued a notification on May 6, 2014 prohibiting the glasses but the ban was later relaxed for vehicles with inbuilt tainted glasses.

Transportation expert SM Salehuddin, also a former executive director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, said currently it was challenging for traffic authorities to take action as almost all rules were being violated daily.

Whenever traffic police took any action against any big shots, they were forced to relax the action, he observed.

‘A climate of impunity instigates common people to violate traffic rules in front of police,’ he added.

Policy Research Institute director Sarwar Jahan, also a former professor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, said traffic officials seemed to be selective in enforcing laws.

When they filed cases for wrong parking, it might be at a place where there was no space designated for parking, he said.

Only a multi-dimensional approach would be able to improve the situation by providing road users with facilities and showing zero tolerance against violators of rules, he suggested.

Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh secretary general Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury alleged that traffic police filed cases against vehicles deliberately under wrong section only to add points to their performance marking.

DMP’s traffic department in November 7 directed its officials not to prosecute traffic rule violators deliberately under wrong section.

Mozammel further alleged that traffic police and transport operators had a mutual understanding to let go these vehicles.

Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority executive director Syed Ahmed said a culture of not following laws persisted among people from top to bottom level.

He also blamed the law enforcers for failing to make people follow laws.

A senior traffic officer held lack of political commitment responsible for this chaotic traffic situation.

DMP joint commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed, however, claimed that they were filing cases against traffic rules violators on a regular basis.

News source: Newage