Dhaka, Oct 15 (UNB) - The government Thursday fixed new timings for offices of government and semi-government, statutory body and private offices, banks and other financial outfits from Sunday and for educational institutions from Nov 1.

Officials said the timings were rescheduled following Monday’s cabinet-meeting decision to set the differential time as a way of leapfrogging traffic impasse in the overcrowded capital.

The cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair approved the time schedules. Briefing reporters at his Ministry in the afternoon, stablishment Secretary Iqbal Mahmud said the government is very much sincere about easing traffic tailbacks in the capital and already aking various initiatives.

“We, the Ministry of Establishment, think that it will help reduce traffic jams if we reschedule office timings,” he said.

According to the rescheduled timings, government, semi-government, autonomous and statutory body offices will work from 9am to 5pm, anks, insurance, other financial institutions and private offices from 10 am to 6pm with effect from Sunday. Kindergarten and primary chools will run from 9:30 am to 4:15 pm, high schools and colleges, madrasas, English-medium and international schools will start between :30am and 8:30 am, the Establishment Secretary said.

“The duration of teaching hours must not be less than six hours for single-shift and five hours for double-shift arrangements,” he said.

The new timetables for educational institutions will take effect from November 1, he added.

Iqbal Mahmud said the Education Ministry should think whether the educational institutions, especially private schools and nglish-medium schools, could introduce own transport system for tudents instead of private cars.

Reposts are rife about innumerable private cars jamming the city streets in a ‘car boom’-much of the blame, however, is put on lack of ass-transport system in this meg-city of around 150 million people.