The Mohakhali bus terminal, known for its overcapacity buses, illegal parking, and lack of proper management at the entrance and exit gates, along with unnecessary U-turns in front of the terminal, used to be a nightmare for city dwellers. However, strict enforcement by DMP’s traffic police has transformed the familiar traffic congestion.
It is reported that to address the traffic congestion centered around Mohakhali, a meeting was held on May 6 with transport leaders and workers at the Mohakhali bus terminal by the Traffic-Gulshan Division. The meeting identified several issues, such as the overcapacity of buses, illegal parking beside the roads, lack of proper management at terminal gates, unnecessary U-turns in front of the terminal, an excess of fuel and gas pumps in limited areas, and the lack of coordination and boundary definition. Decisions were made to resolve these issues, and since Tuesday, the Traffic-Gulshan Division of DMP has taken a strong stance with the help of volunteer workers from the Transport Workers Federation.
ASM Hafizur Rahman, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Traffic South, said that one of the key initiatives of the current DMP Commissioner is proper traffic management and resolving congestion. “We are working towards that goal. Our field-level traffic members are communicating with bus drivers. There are unprecedented changes. Both bus drivers and passengers are pleased with the management. We believe that with everyone’s concerted effort, Mohakhali will completely change.”
‘Bus bays’ are active, and random passenger pickups and drop-offs are completely halted Arifur Rahman Roni, Assistant Commissioner of the Mohakhali Traffic Zone, stated that according to the decisions made in the meeting, random parking and passenger pickups and drop-offs have been completely stopped. ‘Bus bays’ have been activated. Local buses will not stop outside of these bays, nor will long-distance buses stop outside of designated stops. Drivers are being warned against stopping randomly and picking up or dropping off passengers. Violations are being met with fines. From next week, there will be no warnings; bus passenger counts will be monitored at specific stops, and legal actions will be taken if numbers exceed the limits before picking up passengers at the next stop.
A Smooth Journey A visit to the site on Wednesday showed that buses no longer stop randomly nor pick up or drop off passengers anywhere they, please. Traffic congestion has decreased on the main roads of the area, and random parking has vanished. Order is returning to Mohakhali bus terminal, Mohakhali rail gate, Amtoli, and Kakoli areas. Consequently, traffic flow on the Dhaka-Mymensingh road has increased. Following the DC of Gulshan-Traffic Division’s directive, a new incoming road bus bay has been initiated in Mohakhali. No passenger buses are allowed to stop outside the ‘bus bays.’ Traffic police officers are stopping buses that create disorder. If rules are not followed, fines are issued. Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) of DMP, Md. Munibur Rahman suggests expanding the capacity of the Mohakhali bus terminal, stating that there is much-unused space behind the terminal. If integrated with the terminal, many problems could be resolved. Discussions are ongoing among traffic police, transport owners, workers, and the city corporation. It is hoped that solutions will be soon implemented. A ramp from the expressway to the front of the Mohakhali bus terminal has been initiated. Once another ramp for ascending is opened, the road pressure will ease.
The DMP Commissioner’s Unique Initiative for Proper Traffic Management Upon taking charge, Habibur Rahman, the Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, prioritized managing traffic in Dhaka Metropolitan, which has been a remarkable leadership trait for city dwellers. Under his leadership, traffic congestion in the metropolis has become manageable, and innovative traffic circulation plans have been implemented, making travel easier for city residents. Especially during the holy month of Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr, special operations and community traffic police were deployed on all roads of the eight traffic divisions in Dhaka Metropolitan to keep traffic under complete control. Dhaka Metropolitan is also taking legal action against trucks carrying various materials without proper documents at night.
Additional Deputy Police Commissioner (Traffic-Admin and Research) and Project Manager of the Dhaka Road Traffic Safety Project (DRSP), Md. Jahangir Alam told Channel I Online that the results of daily operations are being collected and analyzed to take sustainable measures to resolve traffic congestion in Dhaka Metropolitan. Additionally, necessary steps are being taken to ensure safe travel for the public and to keep traffic flow normal by taking legal action against hawkers and mobile counters that encroach on sidewalks and roads. Measures are also being taken against illegal battery-operated rickshaws to ensure that non-mechanical vehicles do not travel on main roads.
