How Dhaka commuters are adapting to the gridlocked life

Zoom meetings, Google maps and increased reliance on their two feet are some of the ways Dhaka commuters are being forced to adapt to the crippling traffic plaguing the city.

Md Arif, an Uber driver, said he had been counting a fall in income ever since a rise in traffic coincided with school openings. 

"I had to remain stuck on a trip for an hour, while normally it would take 20 minutes maximum. I was not earning as much as before," he lamented. 

Then Arif decided to meet the problem head-on and quickly learned how to navigate his way throughout the city taking the help of Google Maps. 

"Once you open the layer which shows traffic, you get to know which roads are gridlocked. The map in the app itself also shows you the quickest route. For instance, if I have to go from Dhanmondi to Moghbazar, I no longer take the Panthapath route, but opt for the Shaath Raasta. While it is longer, it is also quicker," he said.

Google Maps, though, is only one way that commuters have found.

Ikbal Mahmud, an engineer of the Confidence Group based in Gulshan, had a meeting in Uttara on Tuesday. 

"We started around 11:30am from Gulshan. I was stuck for one hour in front of Banani Graveyard. The scheduled meeting time passed, and the office car could not move an inch, forcing us to cancel the meeting," he said.

To avoid the problem in the future, the engineer said now they are avoiding physical meetings as much as possible and resorting to holding those online via Zoom and other platforms. 

Nusrat Eva, an official of Mutual Trust Bank Limited's Gulshan Avenue's head office, told The Business Standard that her best course has been to rely on her own two feet. She now walks 2-3 kilometres every day. Even then, some days she can't make it to work on time. 

"Traffic jams have killed our personal lives," lamented Md Alamgir Hossian, 37, a sales representative of Renata Limited's Shantinagar region. 

"Do I even have a life?" he asked.

"From 7:30am till night, we need to knock on every door of the city's pharmacies, hospitals and doctors' chambers, and by the time we get to go home, it is late at night," said the father of two kids.

"From dawn to night, we try to escape traffic jams, but wherever you go, traffic will follow you. It is just how it is now," he said. 

Joining the discussion, another medical representative, Monirul Islam, 33, said even the fastest transport - motorbikes - are not enough to reach their destinations on time.

"The pressure from my company has also increased. Offices do not want to listen to any excuse of traffic jams. If we cannot meet the sales target, our jobs are on the line," he added. 

Despite Islam's reservations about motorcycles, some have turned towards it as the most feasible solution. 

Hasan Arif, a Mirpur-12 resident, said that he had to buy a motorcycle just to ensure he could make it to his office in Uttara on time.

"On buses, it would take at least two hours. Some days I have to go without breakfast," he said, adding that he had to buy a bike to save his job as well as time.

Photo: Mumit M

Refatul Islam, assistant commissioner of DMP's Ramna traffic zone, said that sometimes commuters want to know which route has less traffic. 

"Unfortunately, we have no answer, wherever you go, the traffic scenario is the same," he said. 

Although I get to reach on time, it is still hectic through the intense traffic.

Another possible solution was offered by private service holder Rahat Sikder, a resident of Moghbazar. He said, "I have to travel for 4 hours in each trip to and from my office in Tongi.

"Then I came to know about the local train from Tejgaon. It still takes two hours and I am thinking of switching to a job in Dhaka," he said. 

Psychologists say traffic jams have a negative impact on mental health and life. 

"Being stuck in traffic for hours may lead to irritable mood, aggressive behavior and anxiety which may impact people's personal lives", said psychologist Rahnuma-E-Jannat.