Severe traffic jam cripples port city

Thousands of city dwellers in Chattogram suffered severe traffic congestions on major roads, especially on Airport Road, where vehicles remained stuck in a 35-kilometre tailback for hours yesterday.

According to Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) traffic department, the tailback -- stretching from Badamtali to Saltgola Crossing -- was triggered by a congestion of goods-laden vehicles in front of Chattogram Port.

Md Tareq Ahmed, deputy commissioner of CMP traffic (West), said the congestion of lorries in front of the port gates began on Monday evening, and the condition has deteriorated since then.

“The traffic jam originated due to slow movement of vehicles coming to and from the port. We have been working since last night [Monday] but the situation is still the same,” he told The Daily Star yesterday afternoon.

Officials of Chattogram Port informed that two months ago, authorities made it mandatory for drivers of the vehicles to submit copies of driving licenses and national IDs or birth certificates for their helpers, while issuing pass to the port. The measure is being monitored strictly in recent weeks, they said.

Omar Faruk, secretary of the port, said, “As many of the helpers of the vehicles failed to show their NID, passes were not issued to them and those vehicles remained stranded on the road in front of the port which hindered movement of other vehicles.”

Apart from ensuring security of the port, the information of drivers and helpers are needed to create a database to implement “International Ship & Port Facility Security Code” at the port, he added.

About this, Abu Bakar Siddiq, executive president of Chattogram Prime Movers’ Association, said the port authority should have introduced this process long ago, which could have averted such problems.   

People from all walks of life remained stuck in traffic for hours due to the tailback, and many walked to reach their destinations.

Meanwhile, many vehicles took a detour through other roads to avoid this tailback, resulting in traffic congestion on most roads in the city.

Rakib Hasan, an employee of a factory at CEPZ, said he remained stuck in traffic for four hours and then began walking. “My employer will curtail a percentage of my salary for late attendance,” he lamented.

Many school-going children were seen heading back home in despair, while an ambulance carrying patient was seen stuck in traffic too.

The situation has deteriorated further due to an ongoing development work by Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) on Dewanhat overpass.

Tarikul Ahmed, a passenger on DT road, said there was no way to avoid sufferings while commuting.

“Whatever route you take, a long traffic jam is there. All of our schedules are collapsing and the distress knows no bound,” he said.

Same condition occurred on Gate No. 2 area to Bayezid Bostami Road, where traffic congestion formed due to CCC’s development work.

Contacted, CCC Chief Engineer Lieutenant Colonel Mohiuddin Ahmed said the roads were battered from nine consecutive days of rain, and the work was necessary to repair those.