New traffic regulations at Bijoy Sarani: Commuters yet to reap benefit
Vehicles coming from Jahangir Gate can no longer turn right at the Bijoy Sarani signal as part of a new traffic regulation implemented by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
Commuters are yet to benefit from the new traffic regulations at the Bijoy Sarani which came into effect at 10:40am this (25 January) morning.
Vehicles coming from Jahangir Gate can no longer turn right at the Bijoy Sarani signal as part of a new traffic regulation implemented by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
These vehicles must instead turn right in front of the Chief Adviser's Office gate, use the Agargaon Link Road, and continue to their destinations via Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC) or Agargaon intersection.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
DMP said it implemented the new regulations as a trial in a bid to ease congestion at the Bijoy Sarani intersection. If successful, it will be made permanent.
Additionally, the system will be improved based on feedback from transport drivers and owners, according to DMP.
Talking to The Business Standard, Uday Kumar Saha, assistant commissioner of DMP's Sher-e-Bangla Nagar traffic zone, said it was too early to say about the feedback on the first day of implementing the new diversion.
"We found better feedback in previous cases in two different routes — Manik Mia Avenue and Tejgaon Industrial Zone. As of now, the traffic congestion is still the same as before in Agargaon and Bijoy Sarani areas.
"We will observe the situation for a few more days. Then the higher authorities will decide the future of the new diversion," he said this morning.
Anis Alamgir, a journalist by profession, expressed his dissatisfaction over the new diverted route.
"Every day brings a new problem. Today, I saw that vehicles can no longer enter Bijoy Sarani from Jahangir Gate to go to Dhanmondi. Instead, they now have to take the Agargaon Link Road by turning right in front of the Chief Adviser's Office," he said.
"There's also no chance to head directly towards Dhanmondi via Mirpur Road passing Asad Gate. Vehicles must detour via Manik Mia Avenue in front of the parliament. It's one absurdity after another, yet the traffic congestion does not decrease," Anis further said.
Shakil Mahabub, a regular commuter on the Bijoy Sarani-Agargaon route, said he experienced a bit more traffic congestion than the previous days on the new diversion opposite the Chief Adviser's Office.
"Isn't it absurd to divert all the Dhanmondi-going vehicles to first BICC and then again turn to Khamarbari or Mirpur Road?" he asked.
Requesting anonymity, a driver of the VIP 27 Number Paribahan bus, which operates on the Airport-New Market route, said they generally had to wait five or 10 minutes at the Bijoy Sarani signal before. "Now, the route has been diverted to another direction and it takes more time."
"Waiting at Bijoy Sarani signal was better than going through this new diverted route," he said.
