Rights activists have said that although almost every service is available within walking distance, people rely on private cars in Dhaka city due to the lack of safe and comfortable walking and cycling environment in the city.
As a result, the number and use of private cars are increasing in the city that contributes to traffic jams, road crashes, pollution and fuel wastage manifold. Sitting in traffic jams for a long time is losing the opportunity to socialize. In such a situation, initiatives at the policy-making level are needed to regulate private vehicles in order to build a people-friendly city, said the rights activists.
They said these while speaking at a virtual talk-show titled ‘Not Private Cars, We Want a People-Friendly City’. Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust-WBB Trust arranged the event on Tuesday on the occasion of World Private Car Free Day-2024.
Gaous Pearee, director of WBB Trust; Alia Shahed, an assistant professor at Department of Architecture of BUET; Mahamudul Hasan, communication officer of Institute of Wellbeing Bangladesh; and Farhana Zaman Liza, project manager of TCRC at Dhaka International University’ spoke on the occasion, among others. Prama Saha, project officer of WBB Trust; moderated the event.
Gaous Pearee said, “We have started working to control private cars considering various problems including traffic congestion, road crashes, pollution, fuel wastage, lack of socialization opportunities. All the projects that have been taken up in Dhaka city including flyovers, footover bridges, have been done with priority to mechanized vehicles. As a result, people-friendly city was not created.
The current interim government has emphasized on reforming the country. We expect that initiatives will be taken to bring back the livability of Dhaka city and control private cars to build a people-friendly city.”
Alia Shahed said that the number of private cars in Dhaka city is increasing due to the poor public transport system. People are also using private cars in the absence of a safe and comfortable walking and cycling environment. “We have to build an urban transport system considering the reality and nature of Bangladesh by giving priority to water-land-people,” she said.
Farhana Zaman Liza said, “We have been working on private vehicle control for a long time. Some changes are needed at our policy making level to get effective results. We see private car parking everywhere, which obstructs pedestrian movement as well as creates terrible traffic jams on the roads. High parking fees will discourage people from parking everywhere.”
Mahamudul Hasan said, one of the challenges in controlling private vehicles is that many people do not understand that the road is a public space and people's rights come first here. People have forgotten that human civilization existed without cars. Dhaka city has 23,234 people per square kilometer area and on the contrary the number of public areas is very less, he added.
