Take necessary steps: Traffic jams feared during Eid journey

The holy Eid-ul-Azha is just a few days away. Last-minute preparations are underway to go home. But it is feared that this time too, there will be severe traffic jams during the Eid journey.

This is due mismanagement on the highway, potholes in some places, and the pathetic condition of the roads for development work in some other places It is estimated that about 10 million people will leave Dhaka for the upcoming Eid. And 85 percent of them will use the highway.

Meanwhile, at least 94 traffic congestion hotspots have been identified on seven highways in the country.

It is conceivable how unbearable it can be during the Eid journey.

Reportedly, other problems responsible for traffic congestion include unfit vehicles breaking down, haphazard passenger movement, auto-rickshaw violence on the highway, etc.

The frustrating thing is that there seems to be no solution to these problems that have been going on for years.

It is learnt that at least 25 places on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway are prone to traffic jams.

Some are dilapidated, others are undergoing renovation work. There are seven traffic jam hotspots in Sitakunda alone.

The Highway Police has said that CCTV will be used in traffic-prone areas. But how much impact they will have in reality remains to be seen.

It is believed that the flyover under construction at Elenga on the Dhaka-Tangail highway will cause excessive inconvenience to passengers this time.

Traffic jams are expected at least seven places on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

There is nothing new to say about the poor condition of the Dhaka-Sylhet highway.

In normal times, an hour’s journey on this road takes several hours; it is difficult to calculate how many hours it will take during the Eid journey.

Every year, a high-level meeting of the government is held before the Eid journey.

Various decisions are taken to reduce passenger suffering. But at the last minute, everything seems to fall apart.

The familiar images of traffic jams, countless people on the roofs of launches and trains come before us.

This time too, various instructions have been given by the government.

Experts have warned that the upcoming Eid journey will be quite difficult if necessary steps are not taken to ease traffic congestion.

Therefore, the government must take necessary steps to ease the suffering of the people.

The law enforcement agencies must be strict to restore order on the roads and ease traffic congestion.

The local administration must take a responsible role to ensure that no animal markets are set up on the roads.

We want the upcoming Eid journey to be smooth, this is desirable.