Dhaka’s roads are once again in the spotlight, not for progress, but for the chaotic conditions caused by unfit and unauthorised vehicles.
A report published in an English daily on Saturday said, buses, trucks, and battery-run rickshaws — many well past their serviceable lives — are not only clogging city streets but also contributing to severe air pollution.
The persistent sight of buses picking up passengers from the middle of the road, battery-run rickshaws darting through congested areas, and clouds of black smoke spewing from poorly maintained vehicles paint a dire picture of traffic mismanagement. The issue is not new.
The authorities, including the Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), have long been aware of the deteriorating condition of the city’s transport fleet. Yet, enforcement remains weak.
While the Association claims to have given bus owners an ultimatum to remove dilapidated vehicles, there is little confidence among the public that this deadline will be met or that any meaningful change will occur.
The traffic police, despite taking action against over 6,500 buses and 50,000 battery-run rickshaws since September, are facing severe constraints.
The issue of unauthorised charging stations for battery-operated rickshaws further complicates the situation.
It is clear that the police cannot shoulder the entire burden of enforcement alone.
A coordinated, multi-agency approach involving the Power Division and city authorities is needed to ensure these rickshaws do not continue to operate unchecked.
It is disappointing that the BRTA, tasked with overseeing transport safety and compliance, is crippled by a lack of executive magistrates.
The fact that only a fraction of mobile courts are functional reveals a systemic failure to enforce the laws that are already in place.
The Dhaka Road Transport Coordination Authority must expedite its talks with bus owners to introduce new buses under the Dhaka Nagar Paribahan scheme while ensuring that unfit vehicles are taken off the roads progressively but decisively.
It is time for a comprehensive, well-coordinated plan that addresses both the root causes and the symptoms of Dhaka’s traffic woes.
The people of Dhaka deserve better than the daily chaos of pollution, congestion, and safety risks that have come to define the city’s roads.
Only strong enforcement, infrastructural improvement, and proper coordination between authorities will bring about the change that is so urgently needed.