Parking crisis forces vehicles onto roads in Rajshahi

There are no designated parking spaces available. As a result, vehicles are being parked along roadsides. In some places, sidewalks are being occupied. In others, parked vehicles are narrowing the roads. This has brought traffic to a standstill in busy areas of Rajshahi city. Drivers and pedestrians are suffering as road safety risks continue to rise.

To address the situation, the Rajshahi Development Authority (RDA) has taken an initiative to reclaim parking spaces. Meanwhile, Rajshahi City Corporation is looking for potential locations to develop modern parking facilities.

A visit to the city found that the parking crisis is most severe around commercial areas and public service institutions. The problem is particularly acute at Saheb Bazar Zero Point, New Market, Station Road, Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, RDA Market, Alupatti intersection, Laxmipur, Talaimari, Railgate, Sonadighi intersection and Ranibazar.

Motorcycles, private cars and microbuses are regularly parked along roadsides or on sidewalks in these areas. In some places, vehicles occupy part of the roadway. As a result, the space available for traffic is reduced. Pedestrians are also forced to walk at risk.

A motorcyclist named Rahul said it was difficult to find designated parking when visiting the market for shopping. As a result, he often had to park his motorcycle on the road or along the roadside.

Pedestrian Imdadul Haque Sohag shared a similar experience. He said walking became difficult when vehicles were parked along the roads. Adequate parking facilities are needed in markets and other crowded areas, he added.

Rajshahi Development Authority Chairman Abul Kalam Azad Sweet acknowledged that designated parking spaces were being occupied and used for other purposes. He said parking spaces had been included in the approved designs of some buildings. However, the owners later rented out those spaces or used them for commercial purposes.

In response, the RDA has instructed building owners to restore the parking spaces. He also said approval of designs for new buildings without parking facilities had been suspended.

The seven story AH Tower at Alupatti intersection is one example. The building houses 13 commercial establishments. A visit to the site found that the designated parking space on the ground floor had been rented out instead of being used for parking vehicles. As a result, visitors to the building have to park their vehicles along the road outside.

The RDA plans to establish a temporary parking facility near Saheb Bazar Zero Point. To this end, it is considering relocating businesses operating in an open space in front of Saheb Bazar Boro Mosque.

The authority has also taken an initiative to clear areas occupied by commercial activities in front of Dhaka Bank and IFIC Bank in the Alupatti area and arrange parking facilities there.

RDA Chairman Abul Kalam Azad said the authority was also planning to provide large scale parking facilities on the ground floors of buildings.

Meanwhile, Rajshahi City Corporation is identifying potential locations to develop modern parking facilities. The corporation’s administrator, Md. Mahfuzur Rahman Riton, said there were plans to develop a modern parking system using lifts to move vehicles up and down.

According to the city corporation, Rajshahi has 5,819 registered battery powered rickshaws and 8,970 registered auto rickshaws. The total number of registered vehicles in these two categories is 14,789. In addition, several thousand unauthorized vehicles operate in the city beyond those officially registered.

The lack of adequate parking facilities for this large number of vehicles is increasing pressure on road management. Parking problems involving private cars, motorcycles and other vehicles are adding to the burden.

The parking crisis is also making traffic control difficult for the police. Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) Nur Alam Siddiqui said the lack of parking spaces was making it difficult to enforce traffic laws. When drivers are told not to park on the road, the obvious question is, “Where will I park the vehicle?”

Noting that thousands of people are being killed in accidents because of disorder on the roads, Waliur Rahman Babu, a social and human rights activist who voluntarily performs traffic management duties, said improving road infrastructure, adopting long term plans and ensuring maintenance were far more important for controlling vehicles on the roads than direct, on the ground traffic policing.