Additional sufferings await Dhaka city dwellers, communications
minister Obaidul Quader said on Thursday.
Speaking at workshop on ‘Improving the pedestrian environment in Dhaka,’ he was venting his annoyance over the absence of any representative from Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority.
He said that two additional secretaries got additional difficulties getting the additional responsibilities as acting administrators of the two newly created city corporations.
This would bring additional difficulties for the city dwellers, he said.
‘This programme of DSCC, DNCC and DTCA but there is none from these institutions,’ the minister said.
Obaidul also said that no one expects accountability from unelected city corporation administrators.
Neither they can deliver the results, he said.
He alleged that a ‘vested quarter’ was sending fax messages to foreign donor agencies to tarnish the government’s image.
He admitted that different ministries’ combined efforts to ease traffic congestion in the city were falling flat as the local representatives were concentrating on elections.
He said that the reckless conduct of the drivers and the pedestrians who more often broke the rules and caused accidents.
In his keynote paper, Health Bridge representative Debra Efroymson said that accidents claimed at least one pedestrian’s life everyday in the city.
Quoting the findings of a recent survey she said that there should be option for the pedestrians to properly use the planned Bus Rapid Transit.
Debra emphasized on developing a charter of rights for the pedestrians, a policy for the management of outdoor businessmen and cutting down street parking to ensure pedestrians’ rights.
She also called for the instruction of charges for discouraging parking on streets.
The workshop was jointly organised by the Asian Development Bank, DNCC, DTCA, Local Government Engineering Department, Gazipur City Corporation and Work for Better Bangladesh Trust.
LGED chief engineer Mohammad Wahidur Rahman, GCC administrator Shah Kamal, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology professor Sarwar Jahan, WBBT executive director Saifuddin Ahmed, ADB representative David Margonsztern, Lloyd Wright and Bradley Schroeder attended.
-With New Age input
