The road outside Tejgaon truck stand was freed after several failed attempts. Now a large portion of the road is again being used for illegal parking of goods vehicles.
Dhaka North City Corporation has come up with a solution to the problem: building a separate lane for rickshaws and cycles by setting up metal bars that are expected also to stop parking on the road from Saat Rasta to Karwan Bazar level crossing via the truck stand.
Mayor Atiqul Islam said trucks and covered vans are parked on the road named after his predecessor the late Annisul Huq in such a way that the elevated back part of the vehicles occupies the footpath.
“The vehicles are parked because the road is very wide. If we narrow it by setting up a separate lane, illegal parking will stop.”
The road was freed after clashes between transport workers and city corporation employees during Annisul’s tenure.
Now the work to put up metal barriers to separate the lane for rickshaws and other non-motorised vehicles is ongoing. Trucks are, however, still parked on the rest of the road, hampering traffic. Pedestrians avoid the area out of safety concerns because the footpaths cannot be seen from the road due to the parked trucks.
Atiqul said they sought help from police and truck owners to make the plan work. “It’s impossible for DNCC to do something alone."
