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Commuters faced severe traffic congestion on major thoroughfares in the capital as schools and colleges reopened for the first time after being shut for around 18 months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Most office goers and students were stuck in traffic gridlocks on the way to their destinations on Sunday, which is also the first working day of the week.
As soon as the day began, traffic congestion was observed at different parts of the capital, including Motijheel, Dainik Bangla, Arambagh, Kamalapur, Kakrail, Paltan, Shahbagh, Bangla Motor, Karwaran Bazar, Farmgate, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur and Gulshan, among others.
Talking to The Business Post, commuters and guardian said a huge traffic gridlock in front of Manipur School clogged the 60-Feet Road in Mirpur, and later the congestion spread to other adjacent areas.
“It took me an hour to reach Farmgate from Mirpur. I don’t know how long it will take me to reach Motijheel today,” said Taher Mridha, a passenger of Bikolpo Paribahan, while talking to The Business Post.
Besides, traffic congestion was also witnessed near Mohammadpur Ideal School and Mohammadpur Model School and College, Dhaka Residential Model College, Mohammadpur Preparatory School and College (Girls Branch).
“Vehicles on the road have been moving very slowly since morning. It took me more than an hour to cross the Karwan Bazar intersection,” said Md Manikuzzaman, a banker on his way to his office in Motijheel from Mohammadpur.
“As schools and colleges reopened today after such a long time, the traffic department should have taken some extra precaution to keep vehicular movement in the capital smooth and easy,” he opined.
However, the traffic department of Dhaka Metropolitan Police claimed that light traffic congestion occurred early in the morning but gradually came down to a tolerable level as the day progressed.
Talking to The Business Post, many commuters complained that as most roads in Shahbagh, Karwan Bazar and Farmgate areas have been kept closed due to the metro-rail project, vehicular movement in those areas started to slow down as soon as the traffic flow increased in the morning.
Meanwhile, long traffic congestions were seen at the Bijoy Sarani intersection like most days.
DMP Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Md Munibur Rahman told The Business Post that extra precautions
were taken to avoid traffic jams considering the reopening of schools and colleges.
“Additional traffic police have been deployed simultaneously today (Sunday) and precautionary measures have been taken in the areas where schools and colleges there are situated,” he added.
“Meanwhile, we have requested the directors, principals, headmasters and committees of the concerned educational institutions to take initiatives to ensure that car parking near schools and colleges were not being done illegally.” The official also said that road diversion has been increased to avoid traffic congestion and the number of traffic police wrecker vehicles has been increased.
“We have asked traffic officials to take measures to ensure smooth flow of traffic in the areas where congestions occurs almost all the time.”
