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Streamlining Dhaka’s chaotic traffic possible: Experts
Dhaka, Oct 12 (UNB) - Strict enforcement of traffic rules and behavioural change of pedestrians and transport workers as well as proper planning and political commitment are essential to have a disciplined traffic system in this chaotic city of Dhaka, said experts.
They said though it looks a herculean task to restore discipline in the city streets, it is possible to do so through a vigorous media campaign and enforcing traffic rules alongside gearing up the decentralisation process.
Many countries in the world have turned their unlivable cities livable through innovative ideas and forcing people to abide by rules, the experts said.
Prof Moazzem Hossain of Civil Engineering department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) said eight components -- policy, planning, design, construction, maintenance, operation, enforcement and finally monitoring –- will have to be ensured to bring discipline in the traffic system.
Prof Moazzem, also Director of Buet Accident Research Institute (ARI), said it needs to monitor whether the seven other components are functioning properly.
Without adequate manpower, management, leadership, engineering, funding and planning, it is not possible to bring discipline in the streets changing the whole system, he said, adding: “It needs to implement all the eight components and for this, it requires organisational setup, manpower, political commitment and funding support.”
Besides, a footway network system will have to be developed alongside automating the traffic signal network, the road safety expert said.
Prof Moazzem underscored the need for bringing a radical change in the bus operation module. “Buses are plying the city streets under around 250 companies which is absurd. Globally, buses run under a single state-owned agency,” he said, adding that if all the buses run under a single company in the capital, the situation may improve.
Ashish Kumar Dey, general secretary of National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR), said many, including bikers, auto-rickshaw and tempo drivers, young political party activists and a major portion of pedestrians, do not follow traffic rules properly. “It’s a major obstacle to controlling the overall traffic management and reducing road crashes,” he said.
A continued awareness campaign and strict enforcement of traffic rules can bring discipline in the streets, Ashis said.
Alongside strict enforcement of law and tacking action against errant transport workers and pedestrians, a worker-friendly road transport policy will have to be ensured to bring down the number of road accidents and end anarchy in the sector, he added.
The NCPSRR leader said transport workers' lifestyle should be enhanced. “If their wages and other facilities are not increased, a sense of dissatisfaction and hopelessness prevails among them and many drivers become desperate to earn more, leading to repeated road accidents,” he said.
He also alleged that some influential labour leaders and political party leaders protect many drivers and helpers when they are sued by law enforcers, terming it another reason behind drivers being desperate on roads.
Shahidul Islam, general secretary of Dhaka Taxi-Taxi Car-Auto-rickshaw Drivers’ Union, said drivers are yet to receive any training and motivation from any quarter. “It would have surely helped reduce road crashes, had drivers been trained and motivated.”
A CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver has to give its owner Tk 1,600-1,700 as a daily deposit against the government-fixed Tk 600 while bus drivers run their vehicles on a target basis, he said, adding this makes the drivers reluctant to obey the traffic rules as they have to increase the number of trips to earn more. “If the government ensures that owners are not charging more, the tendency of violating traffic rules among drivers will come down sharply,” he said.
Shahidul also said although there is a Prime Minister’s directive to not run buses on contractual basis, it is yet to be implemented.
Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) observed a month-long traffic safety awareness campaign in September following widespread student protests triggered by the death of two college students on a city street in August.
During the campaign that ended on September 30, around 1.72 lakh cases were filed and around Tk 14 crore were realised as fine for traffic rules violation.
On the last day of the campaign, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said despite the sincerity of traffic police to bring discipline in the streets, their attempts are not yielding results due to people's tendency to violate traffic rules. “Though it’s not possible to change habits and behaviour in just one month, we’re hopeful that people will gradually abide by traffic rules,” he said.
“It cannot be expected that hundreds of years of practice or irregularity will change overnight. But we hope everyone will be respectful to the law,” he said, urging the city dwellers to cooperate with the police to enforce traffic rules.
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Thakurgaon govt poultry farm falters for ‘mismanagement’
Thakurgaon, Oct 9 (UNB) – Reported mismanagement and other irregularities in the government-run poultry farm in the district town have brought it to its knees, putting its existence at stake.
The farm was set up on a 3.17-acre land in front of Sadar Hospital here in 1982-83 fiscal year for ensuring the supply of chickens and poultry, aiming to meet the poultry demand of the people living in Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Nilphamari districts.
Despite having prospects, the poultry farm could not play any effective role due to ‘mismanagement and negligence’ of its officials and employees, according to sources at the farm.
The farm has neither any regular manager nor has any essential machinery like incubator (a device for maintaining the eggs of birds or reptiles to allow them to hatch) and brooder house, some officials told UNB wishing anonymity.
Although Upazila Livestock Officer Dr Abdur Rahim has been in-charge of the farm as its manager, he hardly visits the farm.
More worrying is that medical wastes are dumped into the pond of the farm, contaminating its water as there is no one to monitor it.
Contacted, Dr Abdur Rahim told UNB that there are 14 posts, including that of manager and poultry development officer, in the farm.
Of the positions, he said, 12 have been lying vacant for a long time.
While visiting the farm, the UNB correspondent found that the farm is in very bad shape due to ‘mismanagement and negligence’ as the doors and windows of the building have broken down by the time. “The building is totally unfit for use,” said a staff of the farm preferring to remain unnamed.
The farm authorities said there are three shades in the farm for farming chicks, and one of those is totally empty.
As there is no any brooder house in the farm, they said, it is not possible to control its temperature for the proper growth of the chicks.
Locals alleged that the environment of the area is being polluted seriously as nearby hospitals and clinics are regularly dumping their medical wastes into the pond of the farm defying the repeated requests of the farm staff not to do so.
Dr Abdur Rahim said construction of new shades, renovation of its staff quarter, setting up an incubator, a brooder house and hatchery machines are necessary to revive the farm. “What’s more important is to fill the vacancies as soon as possible,” he insisted.
Foot Overbridges: Accessibility remains a sticking point
Dhaka, Oct 9 (UNB) - Patients, the physically-challenged, women, the elderly and children often fail to avail themselves of overbridges (or ‘footbridges’) to cross roads as the initial climb-up the flight of stairs -- often to a height of two storeys --leaves them severely depleted in terms of energy, besides being time-consuming.
While visiting different areas of capital Dhaka, the UNB correspondent came across a number of such people.
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