Dhaka Traffic Gridlock Eases Slightly After New Measures Commuters Remain Skepti

Dhaka, Bangladesh – For residents of one of the world’s most congested cities, the daily commute is often a test of patience. However, recent data from the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) indicates a marginal improvement in average travel times across several major arterial roads during peak hours, following the implementation of a series of traffic management measures. The news, while cautiously welcomed, has been met with widespread skepticism from commuters who have endured years of seemingly intractable gridlock.

The DMP Traffic Division reported on Monday that average travel speeds on key routes such as Mirpur Road, Gulshan Avenue, and the Airport Road have increased by approximately 8 to 12 percent over the past two weeks. This modest uptick is attributed to the strict enforcement of a new ‘no-stopping’ zone policy on major intersections and the deployment of additional traffic police personnel during the morning and evening rush hours. Officials also cite the ongoing trial of a digital traffic signal synchronization system on a 15-kilometer stretch of the city’s inner ring road as a contributing factor.

“We are seeing a positive trend,” said Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Md. Moniruzzaman in a press briefing. “Our focus has been on removing illegal parking and ensuring that intersections are not blocked by vehicles waiting for passengers. These small changes, when applied consistently, can have a significant cumulative effect on traffic flow.” He cautioned that the gains are fragile and that the DMP is preparing for the upcoming school reopening and the start of the construction season, which traditionally worsen congestion.

Despite the official optimism, the experience on the ground tells a more complicated story. For many Dhaka residents, the daily struggle remains a defining feature of life in the capital. The city, home to over 20 million people, has a vehicle-to-road ratio that is among the worst in the world, with less than 10 percent of its land area dedicated to roads. Rickshaws, private cars, buses, and CNG auto-rickshaws compete for space in a chaotic, often unregulated environment.

“I haven’t noticed any real difference,” said Rasheda Begum, a university lecturer who commutes from Uttara to Motijheel. “Yesterday, it took me two hours and fifteen minutes to travel just 12 kilometers. A 10 percent improvement might mean saving ten minutes, but when your baseline is two hours, that is not a solution. It is a band-aid on a deep wound.” Her sentiment is echoed by ride-sharing drivers, who report that their earnings per hour have not significantly increased, as the time saved is often negated by longer waiting times for passengers in areas still plagued by congestion.

Traffic experts argue that while short-term enforcement measures are necessary, they are insufficient to address Dhaka’s fundamental problem: a lack of integrated urban planning and a chronic shortage of reliable mass transit. The much-anticipated Dhaka Metro Rail, part of which is now operational on the Uttara-Agargaon route, has provided some relief to a fraction of commuters, but its network remains limited. The city also lacks a comprehensive bus rapid transit (BRT) system, leaving the majority of commuters dependent on a poorly regulated private bus sector.

“The real solution lies in modal shift,” explained Dr. Ayesha Khanam, a transport planner at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology. “You cannot build your way out of congestion with more flyovers. You need to make public transport so efficient, affordable, and safe that people willingly leave their cars and rickshaws at home. Until that happens, any improvement in traffic data will be temporary and localized.”

International comparisons offer little comfort. While cities like Jakarta and Manila have also struggled with severe congestion, they have invested heavily in large-scale rail and BRT networks over the past decade. Dhaka’s investment in mass transit, relative to its population and economic output, remains significantly lower. The World Bank has estimated that traffic congestion costs Bangladesh’s economy billions of dollars annually in lost productivity and fuel wastage.

For now, the DMP’s traffic measures are a welcome, if modest, step. Commuters like Rasheda Begum hope they are a precursor to more ambitious, long-term planning rather than a statistical anomaly. As the city’s population continues to grow, the question remains whether incremental changes can keep pace with the relentless demand for mobility. The answer, for the millions stuck in Dhaka’s daily jam, is still very much in motion.