Traffic jam is a common scenario in front of every school just before and after the school hours. The photo was taken from Jamal Khan area recently. Photo: STAR

Lack of parking facilities has been causing traffic jam as the vehicles carrying the students are parked in the thoroughfares in front of the reputed schools in the port city.
The students usually come to the schools by their cars or those who have no private car use hired vehicles like taxi cabs, CNG-run autorickshaws and rickshaws.
There occurs serious traffic jam causing hardships for the commuters just before and after school hours as most of the city roads are very narrow.
Sometimes, the gridlock is so immense that students, office-goers, patients and other commuters remain stranded for hours in the areas where the schools are situated.
Chittagong City Corporation (CCC) and Traffic Department of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) issued notices to the schools for several times to provide transport facilities to their students to ease traffic jam.
The schools like Dr Khastagir Govt Girl's High School, Saint Marries School and Chittagong Ideal School and College are located in Jamal Khan area where a huge traffic jam occurs almost everyday, especially before and after school hours.
Khastagir School and Saint Marries School run two shifts. About 2,000 students study in Khastagir School and 2,300 in Saint Marries School without transport facility.
The headmaster of Dr Khastagir Govt Girl's High School, Hasmat Jahan, said they have received two notices, one from the city corporation and another from the CMP (Traffic) to provide transport facility to the students. Jahan said she has written to the Department of Secondary Education to provide a school bus for the students in November last year without any response till date.
Administrative officer of Chittagong Ideal School and College, Aminul Hossain, said they have six school buses for over 2,000 students with capacity of carrying only 150 students. The rest of the students are to use private or public vehicles, he said, adding that they have also got notices from the CCC and the traffic department in this regard.
Bangladesh Women Association (BAWA) Girls' High School is the cause of serious traffic jam in the Dampara area that runs two shifts for 4,500 students. Headmistress Anwara Begum said they do not provide transport facility to the students. They proposed to the mayor to construct a foot-over bridge in front of the school so that the students can cross the road safely.
Chittagong Grammar School (CGS) in Chatteshwari area runs two shifts for 1,300 students without any transport facility for the students. Ispahani Public School and College and Bay View School at Nizam Road and Ispahani Public School are also causing traffic jam.
When asked, Commissioner of CMP Abul Quasem told The Daily Star that law enforcement agencies can not resolve the problem alone. A united effort is needed to develop the civic sense among the citizens as everybody should abide by the traffic rules to make the city free from traffic jam.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP- Traffic), Faruk Ahmed said they have issued notices to the schools either to provide transport facility to the students or to provide parking space for the private vehicles. He said they will sit for further discussion with the school managements soon.
Mayor Manjur Alam said he is concerned about the problem. “We must find out a solution to overcome the problem with combined efforts by the administration, the guardians and the school authorities,” he added.