Dhaka-Aricha Highway
VIPs a boon for travellers
The passage of VIPs on Dhaka-Aricha Highway prompts eviction drives by law enforcers on illegal makeshift shops, bringing a sigh of relief for vehicle passengers and the locals as traffic congestion become nearly non-existent. However, as soon as the VIPs pass, the shops, the main cause for the congestion, return to their usual spots on the footpaths and encroaching on nearly half the highway’s width, said commuters and the locals.
Yesterday, Prince Karim Aga Khan IV visited the National Memorial in Savar around 1:30pm. Between 10:00am and 2:00pm, the highway was free from shops and jam.
Like him, two to three VIPs use the highway on an average each week, bringing relief for brief periods, stated commuters and drivers.
During the passage of VIPs, a journey from Nabinagar to Gabtoli Bus Terminal in the capital by bus takes around 40 minutes.
However, in other days, crossing acute traffic jams before Jahangirnagar University, Savar Bazar Bus Stand, Genda, Hemayetpur and Aminbazar on the route takes nearly three hours, said the commuters.
“If police can keep the road free from hawkers two or three days a week, why don’t they do it every day?” asked Jony Akter, a private bank employee who regularly uses the Nabinagar-Mohakhali route.
One Genda resident, Khandaker Abdul Hamid Ranju, a rights activist, said the shops were usually erected by men of the party in power. Owners of the shops, selling products ranging from vegetables to clothing, pay as per their shop size.
Smaller ones pay Tk 30-80 each day and bigger ones pay Tk 1,000-Tk 3,000 per week, said Usul Ali, who owns a tailoring shop in Savar Bazar Bus Stand.
-With The Daily Star input
