Move to ease growing gridlock in port city

The inter-city buses are parked haphazardly at key points of the city roads causing serious gridlock everyday due to lack of terminals. The picture was taken from Station Road. PHOTO: STAR

To ease the gridlock, Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) has taken an initiative recently to shift the bus terminals of different routes from the central city.

The CMP traffic department decided to shift the terminals of south and north region-bound buses from the heart of the city by August 15 and September 15.

It was decided after discussion with the owners of buses of different routes, including Chittagong South Region, Chittagong North Region, Chittagong-Dhaka (air conditioned service) and Chittagong-Dhaka (non- AC).

Over 150 buses and minibuses leave the city everyday for south region, including Satkania, Lohagara, Chakaria and Cox's Bazar from different temporary terminals and counters at Cinema Palace, Bahoddarhat intersection, GPO intersection, Karnaphuli Shah Amanat Bridge and other city areas.

Besides, about two lakh rickshaws ply the city roads, but only 50 thousand have legal numbers. This gigantic number of rickshaws is causing more problems.

These vehicles create serious traffic jam at Station Road, New Market, Kotwali, Anderkilla, College Road, Chawk Bazar and Badurtala areas.

The counters and terminals for the routes will be shifted to the Bahoddarhat Bus Terminal, sources said.

The buses and minibuses will not enter the city with the start of new plan, said CMP (Traffic) Assistant Commissioner Abu Baker Siddique.

There are two bus terminals for north region routes (Rangamati, Khagrachhari, Fatikchhari and Hathazari) -- one at Muradpur intersection and the other near the Sholashahar Rail Station.

"We have asked the owners to shift two terminals to a suitable place near Oxygen under Bayezid Police Station by September 15 that cause severe congestion on the highway from Sholashahar Gate No-2 to Bahoddarhat daily," Baker said.

The inter-city (Chittagong-Dhaka) bus terminals will be shifted to Kadamtali and Garibullah Shah Mazar (AC) areas from BRTC Station (non-AC). The owners have also been asked to find an alternative site for their services (both non-AC and AC) somewhere in-between Olankar Intersection and City Gate areas under Pahartali Police Station, around five-kilometres from the existing counters in the city.

Md Munir Hossen, deputy commissioner (DC Traffic), said traffic jam will be reduced to a remarkable extent if they can prevent the buses from entering the city.

The traffic department will not be able to meet the deadline of August 15 as the owners already have sought more time for shifting the terminals, sources said.

Besides, the department might face legal problem in implementing the new plan in some cases as the owners of the north and south region routes obtained the present places as lease from Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) for which they are paying charges every year.

Baker said a letter has been sent to Mayor ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury in this connection.

Baker said they have already shifted some counters and a temporary terminal of south-region-bound buses from the Bahoddarhat intersection area to the Bahoddarhat terminal.

Alamgir Md Sirazuddin, director of Silk Line AC Bus Service, said the inter-city passengers might face transportation problem due to new plan.

He urged the authorities concerned to set up terminals at a suitable and convenient place so that nobody faces unwanted trouble while travelling to and from the city.

Hasanuzzaman Chowdhury, a businessman, hoped that it would reduce congestion in the city.

Dr Mezbauddin Ahmed, a regular passenger of the inter-city buses, however, said passengers might face problems as they would have to spend extra money for going to their residences.

Around 40 members of community police have been recruited for different terminals to help the traffic police, Munir said.

There are around 30 counters of different services and over 200 hundred buses gather at the BRTC Station everyday.