Heavy gridlock can be seen in one of the roads of Dhaka city during the month of Ramadan due to a change in office schedules on Saturday, May 18, 2019 Syed Zakir Hossain/Dhaka TribuneSubmit a report in three months, the court saysThe High Court has ordered the formulation of a "master plan" by a panel of experts to find effective ways to curb traffic congestion in Dhaka city. The petitioner pleaded to the court to issue a rule asking the authorities to explain why their failure to address the Dhaka traffic issue should not be declared illegal. The petition cited a recent study, which said Bangladesh loses Tk3,700 crore a year, which is equal to 11% of the national budget, to traffic congestion in Dhaka. In a 2018 study, the World Bank had said people in Dhaka face a waste of 3.8 million work hours, but BUET researchers said the amount is five million work hours. The latest study also found 74% of accidents in Dhaka occur when pedestrians cross the streets.

Source: Dhaka Tribune July 21, 2019 15:33 UTC