Authorities should've prepared better ahead of Eid rush
The Road Transport and Bridges Minister's insistence that there would be no traffic congestion this year during the Eid rush if everyone simply complied with traffic rules fails to comfort us. Rather, it sounds like the minister is asking travellers to prepare for the worst, while trying to escape the blame for the continuing failures of his ministry and other concerned authorities to address the problems in advance of the height of the rush that leads to the chaos in the first place.
But why should they? The authorities should have anticipated the massive movement of people and vehicles during this time of the year and taken corrective measures ahead of time to reduce the suffering that people have sadly grown accustomed to. And despite the rhetoric, it is well known that the conditions of the roads and highways are well below par, as the media has widely reported.
The authorities should have acted on these reports, ensured that the different choke-points leading out of the city were capable of handling large movements of vehicles, and increased capacity to deal with accidents which, as we have seen in previous years, take ages to deal with. The number of water-borne vehicles to ease pressure on the roads could have also been increased. Yet, as this newspaper reported yesterday, the limited number of ferries available to travellers has already become a worry.
The excuses given ad nauseam need to stop. The authorities should instead do their job properly and not expect people to accept their failures repeatedly.
- Courtesy: The Daily Star/ Editorial/ June 11, 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment