EDITORIAL : THE DAILY STAR, BANGLADESH

         

 

Random parking menace

Stop sitting on recommendations

Mindless parking of vehicles on city roads has become a civic menace to say the least. The problem has come to such a pass that even pedestrian movement along commercial buildings or shopping complexes has become extremely difficult, at times even risky. We watch with trepidation the vehicle owners pulling up into an empty space readily available and keeping the vehicle parked for hours together. Hundreds of cars and other private and commercial vehicles are illegally parked all over the city, occupying at least two-thirds of the road space, creating unbearable traffic blockage.

Most traffic personnel remain occupied controlling traffic movements at busy intersections, they are thus unable to act against illegal parking. Moreover, extremely inadequate number of wreckers, four at the moment, out of which two are functional at anytime is a hindrance to law enforcement, but is it all down to wreckers? For, one can see visible manifestation of poor law enforcement featured by random parking and stopovers at will. Sometimes the traffic policemen are seen stopping transports with scant regard for the flow of traffic.

A penalty of meagre Taka 200 for illegal parking or towing a car away once in a while can only touch the fringe of the problem.

Admittedly, the manpower strength of the DMP (traffic) is far too inadequate for the magnitude of public mobility and the huge number of vehicles of different descriptions plying the streets. Furthermore, there are logistical constraints. Resultantly, there is not only poor law enforcement but also allows scope for corruption. Therefore, the manpower and logistical deficits will have to be addressed.

The predicament is mainly due to lack of authorized parking lots. In most cases, the owners have let out spaces meant for parking to variegated businesses. Even the basement spaces have been rented out for other purposes. So there is an issue of recovering designated spaces lost to other trades. Coupled with that, new parking lots, both underground and multi-storied need to be built up though bank financing.

Letting out parking lots can itself become good business, along with smoothening traffic all around.

 

PM's call to opposition

Let the BNP reciprocate gesture

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's statement that her party does not hold a rigid position on the caretaker issue is a welcome attitude on the part of the ruling party to a matter of urgent national concern. Following her recent expression of view that future elections cannot be held under a caretaker system in light of a recent Supreme Court decision on it, she has now invited the opposition BNP to come forward with its formula on a resolution of the problem. As for the BNP, which has called a hartal today over the issue, its position is clear: it wants the caretaker system to stay and considers any move to scrap it as a 'conspiracy' on the part of the ruling Awami League.

We take this opportunity to reiterate the need for a thorough, purposeful discussion in Parliament of the crisis the nation now faces over the caretaker issue, particularly since in slightly over two years the country will be going to the polls again to choose a government. Since the prime minister has signalled a flexible approach to the matter at hand it is for the BNP to reciprocate the gesture. They should give the fullest chance to a process of dialogue. Political agitation on the streets was necessary at certain points of time, especially in popular struggles against dictatorship and autocracy. But when a democratically elected parliament is at work, there is absolutely no reason for political parties, who have their own lawmakers in the legislature, to ignore Parliament in favour of settling scores on the street. Such an attitude can only worsen an already confrontational situation.

Both the ruling party and the opposition must realise that their animosity toward each other is having a negative effect on citizens' lives. Let the BNP go back to the JS and present its case before the nation. And let the government and the opposition together (and government functionaries should avoid speaking out on the issue in discordant or contrary voices) settle on a formula that will revive popular confidence in democratic politics.