Stop tailgating

The term “tailgating”is the practice of driving on a road too closely behind another vehicle, and it is a practice so commonly followed on the roads of Dhaka. When driving, a driver often feels like he is being chased. The risks escalate when both the cars are travelling at considerable speed.  In one of my posts, Driving 101, I mentioned in one of the rules– always leave a gap. That is, avoid tailgating. There are so many risks involved. So adamently mentioned in my previous posts, civilians on the streets of Dhaka city are the most callous and unpredictable in the world. For no apparent reason, they have the moronic habit of jumping in front  of an appraoaching speeding vehicle, assuming that it will just stop and they can safely cross the road. Of course then there are the rickshaws. Therefore, it so happens that sometimes a driver has no other option but to push the brakes real hard, all of a sudden, in a flash of a second to save a life. But if another car is tailgating  that vehicle, there is the inevitable collission, and may often cause severe damages. Cars can topple over , drivers have the risk of facing life threatening injuries, and sometimes lives may be lost. A car which runs on CNG (compressed natural gas), when hit from the back, faces the risk of even exploding or catching fire. Vehicles on the roads of Dhaka have the tendancy to stop all of a sudden, be it for these ignorant civilians or sometimes due to technical or operational problems, such as engine failure or suspension problems. The tailgater will inevitably hit the car and who knows what kind of damages may occur. My advice. STOP  TAILGATING. Either leave a gap or if you are too impatient, just simply overtake the car.

 

Buses and trucks NOT allowed on the flyover

When the Mohakhali Flyover was inaugurated, the civilians of Dhaka city assumed that this would prove to be a drastic convinience as far as reducing traffic is concerned. Once again, we were proved wrong. It was CLEARLY mentioned on the signboard when going into the flyover  that buses and trucks were NOT allowed on the flyover. At the begining, this rule was followed quite efficiently. But nowadays, similar to all the traffic rules in Dhaka, it is not being followed as much. We frequently see buses or trucks on the flyover, instead of being under it, where , according to the system, they are actually supposed to be.The road under the flyover is where all the bus stands are, and 95% of the time there is heavy traffic due to the congestion of all these buses. But does that imply that the rules are clearly meant to be broken?  Buses and trucks, especially here in Dhaka, have the perenial tendancy to travel at menacing speed, completely oblivious of its passenger s safety and also of the other vehicles and civilians on the street. Now the flyover is where a lot of speeding take place, and on top of that, when these mammoth vehicles travel on that road with dangerous speed, it increases the risk of accidents.  They often stop when they are not supposed to on the slope going down the flyover to pick up passengers, which, of course, yours truly has mentioned in one of his other posts. Once again, the lack of authoritarian evaluation and the sheer lack of traffic authorities open the door to break the rules so easily.

 

Road construction and traffic

 As if the traffic situation on the roads of Dhaka were not bad enough, road construction on a busy road at a busy time makes situations inequivocally  a lot worse. I am quite positive that this is a sight that many have witnessed while travelling on the road. All of a sudden the traffic increases, there is bumper to bumper traffic or hardly any movement at all. The reason? Construcion is being undertaken on a side of the road which usually provides the space for vehicles to move about. The roads  or the side of the road that is being constructed takes up a large segment of space, which would be used for the cars and other vehicles. Completely blocking or eliminating that road, that too at a busy time, makes the already volatile traffic situation a lot worse.  Let us also not forget the ever so patient attitude of our drivers and rikshawpullers.  The picture shows a sign which clearly states “Probesh Nished” (No Entry), yet rickshaws and cars will somehow try and find a magical space through which they can pass through, despite witnessing quite clearly that the construction is being made. Yes, Dhaka needs improvements in the quality of their roads and of course, without a doubt, road construction should be undertaken to improvise the situation. But why at a regular traffic hour? The authorities who regulate such activities can just make sure all this can be done quite late at night, at the late hours when there are hardly any vehicles on the roads. Not only can the workers work to their optimum abilities without being hassled by the drivers and commuters, mind numbing traffic situations will not arise.

 

Separate lanes for cars and rickshaws

 Ask any driver or a commuter here in Dhaka city,the main catalyst for traffic congestion and traffic hazards are rickshaws. There are innumerable rickshaws that can be seen on almost all the roads in Dhaka.  Small roads, narrow streets, busy lanes and main roads, you mention it, and the sight of rickshaws will always be present. My main concern is not to make suggestions to completely ban rickshaws, as all of them undertook this tedious profession just to feed their families and live on a daily basis. Rather my suggestion would prove to make life easier for both th rickshawpullers, the vehicle drivers and of course the commuters. Seperate lanes would be the answer. In most busy roads, why not make seperate lanes , one for cars and auto run vehicles, and another, for rickshaws and cycles. With seperate lanes , rickshaws can move about at their own pace, and not be worried about being smashed over by a speeding vehicle, and vice versa, the cars can also benefit from not breaking constantly to avoid hitting rickshaws and can move about with some decent speed. Chances of accidents, although, can happen anytime anywhere, are reduced by a considerable margin, and the commuters on cars and also on rickshaws can have a peace of mind. Managing and controlling  traffic will also prove to be much easier for the traffic authorities.

 

Driving 101- some safety tips

 The old cliche ” driving is a big responsibility” that is heard everywhere in the world could might as well be the TRUEST cliche ever. It truly is. Here, as in , driving in Dhaka city, it is even a BIGGER responsibility. With the increase in rickshaws, mindless moronic and not to mention the absolute brainless pedestrains, lack of proper traffic authorities, village people thinking it is ok to just jump in front of a speeding car, and several other factors, driving here on the roads of Dhaka can be an ordeal. So here are some safety tips that yours truly ( being quite paranoid) has come up with.

The first general rule is that it is VERY important to have a panaromic vision while driving. Translation, keep your eyes open in all directions. But the following are, what I would like to call it, The Golden Rules:

1. Civilians come first. Be aware of pedestrains crossing the street. Do not take risks by speeding on a busy road and slow down if you feel someone is about to cross.

2. Always leave a gap between your car and the car ahead of you. Tailgating (being just behind one car, like a tail) should be discouraged. Even if the car in front of you suddenly stops, you can brake in time.

3. Always use the side mirrors, while moving left or right.

4. If a large bus or truck is trying to overtake you or trying to swirve you on another direction ( known as “chapano” in our dialect), do not swirve wildly. Instead, just slow down a bit and let them pass. It’s no competition now is it?

5. While parking, reverse in or out, only when there is enough measurable space.

6. Be very careful and alert while driving late at night or very early in the morning. Do not speed or take wild turns thinking the roads are empty at this hour. Some other fool might be thinking the SAME thing, and you two may wind up having a tragic meeting.

7. Always be very careful while overtaking . Make sure there is enough space to go through on the other side.

8. Be very careful while driving behind buses or minivans or other forms of public transport. Th reason? Please read my earlier post titled ” Jumping Civilians”.

9. Keep  photocopies of your driving licence in the car, so even if you misplace or lose it ever, you can have copies that can be used until you reclaim it.

10. Wear your seat belt.

 

Have SOME decency

 I have had the privilage to travel to many parts of the globe, and i have learned a lot about several cultures and customs. One thing that i found common in ALL the places was the decency to let a beeping ambulance pass through, even if there is heavy traffic. ALWAYS. Without fail,I have seen drivers just clear the road so that the ambulance can pass through. The traffic sergeants make sure of that. I have seen it everywhere, except for? YES, YOU GUESSED IT. Our very own Dhaka city, where a patient can die a thousand and one deaths by being in an ambulance stuck in traffic. I , along with many of you readers, have witnessed this scene so many times. A beeping ambulance , stuck in traffic, is honking away, yet, all the drivers are nonchelant, along with the traffic police, who seem to constantly love admiring the skies. One of the probable reasons is that some low minded individuals actually use ambulances to get to places faster. But regardless, that assumption should NOT be the cause that a beeping, honking ambulance should be completely ignored. I mean, someone’s life may be at stake. Just moving away a few iches will not hurt, and as for the traffic police, letting an ambulance pass through a red lght will not cause him to get fired. This is just the commonest form of decency and sadly, we lack that. I will just end this by saying, or requesting rather, to  emphatize. Imagine yourself, or a family member or a loved one, in an ambulance,being in critical condition and needing to be rushed to the hospital, being stuck in this everlasting traffic which has engulfed our city, and then, God forbid, something happens. Think about that, and the next time an ambulance with its siren on is behind u or wants to go through, let it

 

Easing traffic- some simple rules

 The frustrating traffic here in Dhaka city cost valuable time for the commuters. It can be noticed that even if there are only about seven to eight cars on the road, the drivers will block each other on the red signal, without any sort of consideration to which way they will go on the green signal. Such ignorant acts are the cause of the increasing traffic. Parallel to that are the cause of accidents, with too many cars sandwiching each othere.

 In that context, some strict yet simple rules should be implemented by the police and violators must be penalised or fined. Number one- all roads should consist of two lanes, one for vehicles intending to take a left turn, another for going staright or turning right. Changing lanes or U turns should NOT be allowed. For public transport such as buses or minivans, a proper bus counter or stoppage point should be established. I have mentioned in one of my earlier posts, titled ” Jumping Civilians” on how passengers tend to jump out of buses before reaching a point. This rule might keep that foolish act in check, as heavy fines should be imposed on the people who do that, in the middle of the road, as more lanes will mean more traffic police.

 

Dangerous turning

Many of you readers who live in Uttara, Dohs Baridhara will notice that on Airport Road, there is a turning which leads into Dohs Baridhara, going further down towards Radisson Hotel. Now its is not a new information that Airport road is an already dangerous and risky road to drive in, as there are constant speeding vehicles. Now the dangerous part about this turning is that there are never any traffic sergeants. It is all about instinct from the drivers. The cars, buses, trucks speed from one direction, from which the cars waiting to take the turn, calculate and somehow make their turns.  There is always the risk of a very dangerous accident, as the vehicles approaching come at a relevantly high speed, enough to cause severity. Each and every vehicle that takes the turn are at risk. There are no traffic sergeants present to control this situation. If there were, the cars coming from the other side can be stopped for a minute or two while the awaiting vehicles can safely take their turning. In addition, some vehcles have the the senseless idea that they can go the wrong way and take the turning from the OTHER side, leading towards Uttara and the airport. This creates a highly dangerous environment. ALL it takes is the appointment of a traffic sergeant, or even a signal, which is absent.  The law and road authorities should seriously look into this dangerous situation. The picture ( apologies for the quality, as it was taken from a phone camera from a moving vehicle) shows  a CNG and the car where yours truly was in, anticipating when to take the turn, and the oncoming speeding vehicles on the other side of the road can be seen.  Vehicles taking the turning on this road faces such dangers every single day, and this certainly needs to be looked into by the authorities.

 

Jumping civilians!!

It is a common trend here in Dhaka City that passengers, especially from buses and mini buses, often , just simply JUMP out into the road, when the vehicle slows down a little, when they feel that they have reached their destination. Mind you, they do not wait (or simply, lack the knowledge) for the bus or mini bus to come to the proper bus points or stoppage points, WHICH THEY ARE ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO DO. They just simply jump out of the bus. What they take absolutely NO CONSIDERATION of, are the approaching cars that are behind them or overtake them. They simply do not realize that their chances of getting hit are quite high, to say the least. Yours truly will take the drivers side in case of a hit, because it is often incomprehensible for the drivers to predict that a person will simply jump out of a moving vehicle. The result? Hit and run. Every public transport, for the safety of their passengers, should keep a bus conductor on the entrance or exit gates of the bus or mini bus so that these mindless passengers do not just simply JUMP out. A rule should be imposed that no matter how close they are to their desired destination and how appropraite it might be, they HAVE to simply wait until the bus or van reaches its particular bus stop or stoppage point. I am quite sure this rule does not exist, and this should be looked into.

 

Abandoned Flyover project in Gulistan area

The abandoned Gulistan- Jatrabari flyover project  in the middle of the busy Gulistan road add to the already mind numbing traffic congestions in the  Gulistan- Fulbar area. The 150 metre road is squeezed stretch on both sides of the roads where buses, trucks , cars, and frustratingly, rickshaws, constantly  struggle to makes their way through the road. The footpaths, or pavements, on that part of the road, are occupied by hawkers, who make the situation even worse, forcing people and vehicles to squeeze on through the roads. All it will take is the removal of the debris which is NOT being used, because the project, as of now, has been abandoned. The whole process will involve just a matter of days, a week at most. But once again, SURPRISE! Is anyone , the authorities, doing anything about it? Retorical question, but still let yours truly answer that. NO.  It just appears to be simply mind blowing when sheer laziness and ignorance causes so many inconviniences for our civilians.