DHAKA, Sept 5, 2018 (BSS) – Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP’s)
initiative of setting up 4,077 metal pillars has become an effective means of
checking motorcycle plying on footpaths, which helps ensure safe movement of
pedestrians in the city.
“We’ve achieved a complete success in checking motorcycle plying on
city’s footpaths through installation of 4,077 metal pillars on footpaths
across the DMP area with our own finance,” DMP Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman
Mia told BSS today.
“Our next target is to make the city’s footpaths free from illegal
occupation,” he said, hoping that this new endavour would be successful.
The DMP chief requested the owners of the refueling stations not to sell
fuel to the motorcyclists having no helmet so that the bikers are compelled
to wear safety helmets.
Asaduzzaman also said the DMP is conducting a month-long special campaign
from today to bring discipline in the traffic management system and create
awareness among people to stop the incidents of recurrent traffic rule
violations.
In the recent Traffic Week in August, it was found that motorcyclists
were the most violators of traffic rules as more than half of 88,293 traffic
rules violation cases were filed against bikers during the period.
On Tuesday last, about 2,657 cases out of 5,532 were filed against the
riders of two wheelers while 130 motorcycles were seized for allegedly
violating traffic rules.
According to the case statements, the motorcyclists were mainly accused
of violating traffic signal, failure to produce valid documents and driving
licenses, not wearing helmets, and travelling on wrong routes.
Although the DMP is taking legal actions against motorcyclists for
traffic rules violation, many bikers have been constantly breaching the
traffic rules and regulations, putting the lives of pedestrians and others at
risk.
According to official data, on an average about 100 cases are being filed
against motorcyclists while 100 motorbikes are being seized every day for
allegedly violating traffic rules.
Experts say the unruly motorcyclists cause accidents, violate traffic
rules and even create nuisance to pedestrians by driving motorcycles on
footpaths and wrong ways for lack of proper enforcement of traffic rules and
strong monitoring.
Many of the bikers even do not register their motorcycles with Bangladesh
Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and often use their bikes in committing
crimes, they said.
“The traffic police seize 30 to 50 motorcycles a day and file over 700
cases against motorcyclists. But, youngsters’ driving of illegal motorcycles
continues, which puts the lives of city dwellers at risk,” a police official
said.
Observing that most of the bikers are teenagers who perform acrobatic
stunts to show off in front of their peers, he said there are tens of such
motorcycle drivers in the capital. “We cannot send the entire force to chase
and arrest all the bikers who are violating traffic regulations.”
The frequent seizure of these vehicles has caused another problem as the
yards of police stations are being occupied with motorcycles, he said.