Dhaka's exits, entries put travellers' patience to test

Before leaving Dhaka for Mymensingh, Anamika Tabassum, a private service holder, had chalked up the work trip in her head: she should reach the destination by 9:30am if her bus started from Mohakhali at 7am. But her journey took four hours.

The journey back to Dhaka was even worse!

"The most frustrating part was returning to Dhaka. I left Trishal of Mymensingh just after 4pm and reached Dhaka around 10:30pm – nearly six hours!" Anamika told The Business Standard.

According to her, traffic congestion and poor road conditions have made the Dhaka-Mymensingh journey a nightmare.

Entry and exit roads to and from Dhaka are bumpy and full of potholes at places, and consequently congested – which causes severe travel delays. Even smoother roads do not make much difference.

Passing through the Chittagong Road-Signboard-Jatrabari portion may be a more harrowing experience for those who enter the capital from Chattogram, Sylhet, Barishal and Khulna regions.

Jakir Hossain, who works in a private organisation in Dhaka, had to spend 7 hours in the bus while coming from Brahmanbaria on Tuesday. He blamed the notorious Chittagong Road- Jatrabari gridlocks for making the usual 3-hour journey into a disgustingly longer one. 

Streams of long-haul buses and other transports plying spacious highways and an expressway all converge there from two major directions – Kanchpur Bridge and Padma Bridge, making the vital entry-exit point almost inaccessible in peak hours. 

Though Mayor Hanif flyover handles a large volume of traffic, the tremendous flow of transports from all directions choke the ramp. The road below the flyover is poorly managed and left with potholes and parked buses, causing vehicles to struggle to reach Sayedabad interdistrict terminal or Gulistan roundabout.

Even when certain entry points have been improved with smoother roads, the primary challenge begins when approaching Dhaka due to severe traffic congestion.

It is the traffic police who are the first to respond and struggle to keep vehicles moving. Having to be posted at spots like Jatrabari, Gabtoli and Mohakhali means a nightmare for traffic constables and officers.

Controlling traffic on the exit-entry points is becoming a herculean task now, said Muhammad Talebur Rahman, a deputy commissioner at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). 

"We are keeping traffic discipline at the points utilising our experience and own method. Also, we try to keep the roads free from parking or roadside stalls," he said. 

Approach roads are wider and vehicles entering from all directions get stuck in congestion due to narrower roads at entry points, said Talebur, explaining one of the key reasons for chronic gridlocks at the city's gateways.

"We feel that the points should be more accessible and roads at the entry-exit points should be made wider," the DMP official said, hoping that relevant authorities would look into it.

Jatrabari, Gabtoli and Tongi – these three are considered the main entrances to Dhaka from all over the country. Of these, people from 40 districts enter Dhaka through Jatrabari, 18 districts through Gabtoli, and 5 districts through Tongi.

Besides these main entrances, other entry points, such as the Keraniganj-Babubazar-Gulistan corridor, pose additional challenges for commuters. Keraniganj is notorious for severe traffic congestion, exacerbated by poor road conditions, unplanned parking, and roadside shops. Slow-moving vehicles further contribute to the congestion.

Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority's Deputy Transport Planner Dhrubo Alam said, "Apart from the poor road conditions, the city's entrances are obstructed by bus terminals, depots, and markets."

Road users' nightmares

Among the entry points, the Tongi Road was reportedly in the worst condition, riddled with bumps and potholes. However, the road has recently been repaired.

Even so, passengers regularly suffer through long, exhausting journeys due to severe traffic.

Manik, a helper on the Mymensingh-bound United Paribahan bus, said vehicles take hours to pass through Tongi due to the severe traffic.

He, however, said the newly constructed BRT flyover now allows vehicles to bypass the road, offering some relief.

The Savar-Gabtoli route, another entry point, was previously in poor condition but has seen improvements recently.

Repair works and the construction of service lanes have made the road smoother and more accessible. While movement has become easier, some points along the road still suffer from unavoidable traffic jams.

Hatem Ali, a driver for the Tangail-bound SB Link bus, noted that most of the road is now smooth, though some areas under ongoing construction are still slightly uneven, slowing travel.

Despite the improvements, congestion remains at the Savar bus stand, Nabinagar, and Aminbazar.

Other routes, such as the Dhaka-Demra highway and the Jatrabari-Signboard road, have also seen improvements. The Postogola-Jatrabari corridor, though smooth, is often choked with heavy traffic, making the journey gruelling for travellers.

"The road before Jatrabari is good, but from Jatrabari to Sayedabad Bus Terminal, it is in poor condition. Potholes, parked vehicles, and non-motorised vehicles clog the road. So, we use the Mayor Hanif Flyover, but even then, we face intense traffic jams," said Yousuf, a supervisor of Palki Paribahan.

Freight trucks often use the Ruhitpur-Beribadh road in Keraniganj to bypass the congested main road. However, several potholes have developed along the narrow bypass, making the route difficult to navigate.

After passing Keraniganj, the Babubazar Bridge offers smoother roads, but the mix of motorised and non-motorised vehicles slows progress significantly.

The road towards Gulistan, beyond Babubazar Bridge, is in particularly poor condition, with deep potholes that are especially hazardous during the rainy season.

Md Safiqul Islam, a local auto driver, shared, "The Kadamtali, Keraniganj, and Babubazar roads are in good condition, but about half a kilometre of the road beyond Babubazar is in a bad shape with deep potholes, which become more dangerous in the rainy season."

He added that traffic jams in this area are a daily occurrence.

There are also diversion roads leading into Dhaka that bypass the main roads, but their condition is also poor.

The Uttara-Mirpur Beribadh road, for example, is narrow and one-way, with a broken surface and dust, making it risky for vehicles.

On the other hand, the Chandra-Baipail bypass and the Demra-Rupganj bypass roads are spacious but also suffer from broken surfaces and unbearable traffic congestion, making travel equally difficult.

Transport coordination authority's Dhrubo Alam explained that bus depots should not be located at the entrances of the city.

They are planning to convert the Syedabad, Gabtoli, and Mohakhali terminals into city terminals, with 10 new inter-district bus terminals and depots to be established outside Dhaka.

He added, "We are also updating the Dhaka Metropolitan Transportation Strategy Plan, which will include a preliminary concept for a goods transport plan. There will be commodity markets in the city, but it is not advisable to locate them at the city's entrances, such as Gabtoli or Jatrabari."

Dhrubo also mentioned that Dhaka's circular waterways could be utilised for the transportation of goods, offering an alternative to the congested roads.