Only 5% trips in Dhaka are conducted by private cars but they occupy 70% of the roads. Every day more than hundred cars are being registered in Dhaka. Moreover they are getting facilities like more or less free parking, car loan, flyover and elevated expressway and priority in the roads. Although 95% trips are conducted by bus, rail, walking and rickshaw, they are being neglected. So many people are being forced to buy private cars. Car control is possible by ensuring an integrated and developed public transit with walking, cycling and rickshaw. Besides it is also important to increase parking charge, ascribe congestion charge, increase import tax and ban private cars in some specific roads. Today on 8^th November 2015, 11 am, speakers expressed the above view in a demonstration on the demand of a policy to control cars, jointly organized by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA), Poribesh Bachao Andolon (POBA), Nagorik Odhikar Shongrokkhon Forum, Nirapad Development Foundation, BCHRD, Poriborton Chai, Green Mind Society, Ainer Pathshala, Poribesh Unnoyon Society, Dhaka International University, BARSIK, Protyasha and Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust in front of National Press Club. 

Speakers said that, ensuring a livable city with an integrated public transit system including walking, cycling and rickshaw will be the focus of private car control policy. Reduce traffic jam, ensure proper land use, reduce pollution and cut the expense of building car friendly infrastructure like parking, elevated expressway and flyover should also be the objectives of the policy. 

They also said, traffic management, parking management, license control, ascribe and increase tax, infrastructural management is necessary to focus in the policy. To reduce the usage of car in a short time some steps can be taken. Such as one day car with odd license number will be on the road and even license number will be on the other day, car will not be allowed in roads once a week, banning cars in some specific roads, ascribing congestion charge and many more. Moreover it is also important to make it optional to build parking in buildings in the article 56 of Dhaka Building Code 2008. 

The program was chaired by Hafizur Rahman Moyna, Chairman, Nagorik Odhikar Shongrokkhon Forum. Other speakers were Kamrul Ahsan Khan, Coordinator, Bangladesh Environment Network (BEN)-Australian Chapter; Maruf Hossain, Program Manager, LC, NCD, Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust; Ibnul Sayeed Rana, Chairman, Nirapad Development Foundation, Atiq Morshed, Program Coordinator, POBA; Mahbubul Haque, Executive Director, BCHRD;  Subrata Das, Chairman, Ainer Pathshala; Ferdous Ahmed Ujjal, Program Officer, BARSIK; Didarul Islam Bhuyian, Poriborton Chai; Faisal, Member, Protyasha; Amir Hasan, Executive Director, Green Mind Society; Syeda Anonna Rahman, Program Manager, HR, NCD, Ziaur Rahman Litu, Senior Project Officer, Work for a Better Bangladesh Trust and many more.