Dereliction of duty

Mahmudur Rahman writes for DOT : 
The young lady stood at the beginning point of the newly assigned bus stoppages introduced in Dhaka, lanes where buses can stop and offload and load passengers. The older man stood at the other extreme both holding their hands up to request the bus to stop. It did and a warm glow of comfort welled through the body. Some things work. Unfortunately much of the feel-good factor subsided at the next bus stoppage occupied by rickshaws with cops walking about. The feel good factor disappeared when at the next stoppage one found street mobile vendors contentedly plying their trade and to pot with discipline.
These were three scenes in Elephant Road, Science Laboratory and Sobhanbag on Thursday that left one asking what did the school children achieve after all their protests. Neither the police nor the community at large gave two hoots about these bus zones and one can only hope time, structure and habit will improve matters. Posts with bus numbers that are to mandatorily stop at these stoppages are the next factor followed by proper bus shelters for those waiting, designed so that shops can’t occupy the space even if it means standing place only.
The bigger issues of competing buses jostling for space continues abated. Dropping passengers especially at Shaheen school flyover under the nose of the signage ‘prohibited to load passengers’ continue with gay abandon and no one is any surer which transport should be using the flyovers. The beauty of Hatirjheel is polluted by vehicles and rickshaws travelling the wrong way, goods transports hitherto forbidden ignoring the rule and mad races by motor bikes proceeding undaunted. Previously police were more astute in establishing the law but with restaurants springing up alarmingly and no space for parking they too have given up. It seems the Army needs to step in to check indiscriminate parking in the middle of the bridge causing dangerous loads it was never meant to carry. The
Mohakhali overpass too was never meant o carry buses, it was meant to allow private transport to avoid the chaos of the bus stops below. Yet this simple arrangement is not being adhered to. The resultant jam, with no signals before and after isn’t a case of development but a disaster waiting to happen.
The Rangs bridge too, is a disaster waiting to happen. Jams that spread from one end to another points to a point when the tensile strength of the bridge will tear up for good, an accident will happen and after a three man enquiry report the blame will be put on bad planning. And guess what? Everyone gets off scot- free.
The writer is an author,columnist and communications specialist