Mobile courts to ensure smooth journey during Eid

Every year homebound passengers ahead of the Eid celebration get stuck for hours on the Mohakhali-Gazipur road inside the capital as the road leads to one of the exit points of the capital.

To make this journey smooth, the authorities have decided to take a number of initiatives this year including deploying mobile courts, opening all temporarily closed u-loops, road repairing, stopping heavy vehicles during day time, and cleaning roadside drains to prevent clogging in case of rain.

Road Transport and Highways Division hosted a meeting at the secretariat on Monday with its secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri in the chair. Stakeholders of different ministries and offices at the meeting discussed possible ways to solve the traffic congestion problem and ensure a smooth journey during the Eid rush.

A committee has been formed by the ministry to work on the issues, said an official who attended the meeting. “The decision will be finalized and stakeholders will be notified within a day or two,” he added.

Officials said that this year, several mobile courts will be deployed at bus stands and stoppages on the road this year. They will take action against wrong parking and occupying roads. Besides, no bus will be allowed to park on the road in front of the Mohakhali bus terminal.

Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit Company Ltd has been asked to repair roads in the project area of BRT. They have been also directed to clean roadside drains.

ASM Safiul Azam, chief executive officer of Gazipur City Corporation, said in the previous year they managed traffic well during the Eid rush. “This year we will try to do the same,” he said.

The GCC will try to clear roads on their part and will not allow any heavy vehicles like trucks to ply from 7:00am to 9:00pm every day. “We will dump these vehicles if found on the road,” he said.

Besides, no battery-run-auto-rickshaws and rickshaws will be allowed around the Gazipur intersection, he added.