Severe traffic congestion in the capital causes a loss of Taka 20 thousand crore per annum, specially in the road transport sector, sources said.
Traffic jam also causes negative impact on human life. It has also been increasing environmental pollution in the city, sources added. The experts have specified some major reasons for traffic jam. These are: thickness of population, countless vehicles, unplanned development, lack of implementation of law and shortage of roads. The increasing number of street hawkers and rickshaws also causes traffic jam.
“Illegal parking and illegal construction beside roads are also vital reasons for traffic jam while a large portion of the city has already gone in the hands of illegal grabbers.”
“One-third of working day goes in vain as nobody can reach their destination timely, specially in office hours’. According to a recent survey, about 3.2 million working hours are lost per year due to jam.
Sources said industrial loss incurs Tk 4000 crore per year due to congestion while additional fuel such as gas, petrol, etc cost Tk 575 crore.
Besides, accident costs Taka 50 crore, environment costs Taka 2200 crore and the cost of medical treatment stands at Tk 730 crore, sources added.
Many persons alleged that severe traffic jam took at least two hours to come to Motijheel from Mirpur, Uttara, Gulshan and some other places. Sources said 40 percent fuel consumption would be reduced if authorities took proper step for alleviating jam. Besides, construction of new roads had become essential in this regard, they added.
A senior official of the Traffic Department of DMP said there were only seven percent roads in the capital. But there should be at least 25 percent roads in a metropolis. The authorities still had not taken initiative to construct enough roads despite their increasing demands.
To reduce traffic congestion, present government has taken some initiatives. Of those construction of five flyovers and an elevated expressway are under process.
A plan has been taken by the government to develop railway communication for the commuters. A plan has also been taken to construct an underground railway.
