Speakers at a meeting yesterday called on the government to impose restrictions on private car use during the rush hour in the cities in order to ease traffic congestion. Terming the car an inefficient mode of transport, they said private cars are mainly responsible for the traffic jam in the cities. "Two private cars occupy almost the same space on the road as a 30-seater bus, but the two cars can carry not more than eight passengers," Save the Environment Movement Chairman Abu Naser Khan said. The speakers also called on the city dwellers to use bicycle or get into the habit of walking for shorter journeys, which will help reduce traffic congestion as well as prevent air pollution. Save the Environment Movement organised the view exchange meeting on 'Traffic congestion and ways to resolve it' at Imax Centre in the city to mark the World Car-Free Day 2008. The annual economic loss due to traffic congestion is about $771 million, said senior journalist Kamal Lohani, who presided over the meeting. The speakers suggested formulating a policy to control the use of private cars, imposing restrictions on private car usage on alternate days, charging congestion fees, reducing number of private cars and encouraging students and officials to use public transport instead of private cars. The speakers also urged the government to create separate lanes for motorised and non-motorised vehicles such as rickshaw, and pedestrians. They also called for better public transport facilities and routes so that passengers can travel from one end of the city to the other end easily. Saifuddin Ahmed, executive director of Work for Better Bangladesh Trust, also spoke at the meeting moderated by Maruf Rahman of WBB Trust.