Dhaka streets see traffic congestion a day before restrictions end

Huge numbers of vehicles were seen on Dhaka streets despite a day still in hand to end the 18-day Covid restrictions on vehicular movement.

All kinds of motorised and non-motorised vehicles, excluding public transport, are plying on the streets.

Police checkpoints at different streets were found ineffective in implementing the Covid restrictions because of huge traffic movement. Several roads in the capital city were seen clogged with traffic.

The ongoing restrictions on public movement that started on 23 July, will end tomorrow at 11:59 pm. Offices and businesses including public transport will be opened on certain conditions from 11 August, according to a cabinet division circular.

Several passersby observed that the intensity of traffic on the roads had increased since Monday morning amid the restrictions. In addition to personal cars, a huge number of motorbikes, covered vans, CNG-run auto-rickshaws, and rickshaws plied on the roads.

CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver Kabir Hossain told Prothom Alo that traffic police fined him Tk 600 while he was carrying passengers from Gulshan to Agargaon. After a long break, Kabir resumed driving on Monday.

Since the very morning, traffic clogged the avenue connecting Abdullahpur and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Many vehicles entered Dhaka metropolitan area through the Sayedabad and Gabtali entry points, intensifying the traffic congestion around the roads in some areas including Bjioy Sarani, Farmgate, Mohakhali, Karwan Bazar, Bangla Motor, Tejgaon industrial area, Shahbag, Kakrail, and Paltan areas.

Traffic police and law enforcers were seen less active in implementing the Covid restrictions on Monday than the previous days.

Police withdrew their checkpoints from most of the places. On the day, only one checkpoint, instead of 17, was set at Banani Chairmanbari point along the Airport-Farmgate road.

There was a makeshift barricade in front of the Kurmitola General Hospital, but no policeman was seen on duty there.

Airport Road traffic sergeant Atiqur Rahman told Prothom Alo, “Most of the barricades have been withdrawn due to huge presence of vehicles on the road.”