‘Traffic jam today is out of control’

Citizens of Dhaka were surprised and frustrated on Tuesday with the unusually heavy traffic on the streets of the capital, with thousands of people remaining stuck in traffic jams for hours during their morning commute.

A Tongi-bound BRTC bus started from Kamalapur on 7:30 in the morning. Almost two-and-a-half hours after departure, the bus was at a standstill at the Bijoy Sarani traffic signal.

The helper of the vehicle Mohammad Nasir was irritated with the situation and said that it usually takes them one and a half hours to reach this far. ‘The traffic jam today is out of control. Forget us, think about the suffering of the passengers,’ Nasir further said.

At the same signal, Mohammad Talha was sitting helplessly on an Abdullahpur-bound bus with his mother, who is over 70 years old. He and his mother got on the bus from Motijhjeel and were gasping in the excessive heat inside the congested vehicle. Talha said, ‘I haven’t seen traffic like this in some time. I am in a fix with my mother. She is finding it very difficult.’

The helper of the bus Mohammad Sumon said that it took them three hours to reach Farmgate from Motijheel. Usually it doesn’t take more than an hour.

Baki Billah works in Karwan Bazar. It usually takes him 30 minutes to reach his work place from Mirpur 2 via a leguna and a bus. Today, it took him 90 minutes. It took him one hour to reach Farmgate from Agargaon due to traffic.

Lalmatia’s Suzana Kamal was late to reach her workplace in Farmgate due to the traffic jam. She was stuck in the Khamarbari signal for 40 minutes. It took her more than 90 minutes to reach Lalmatia on a rickshaw.

Traffic inspector at the Bijoy Sarani crossing Suja Chowdhury deduced the opening of schools as the reason behind this traffic congestion.