Dhaka City’s Traffic Jam and Planned Solutions Essay Example

million that the motorised vehicles burn staying longer than required time in the streets. Each vehicle faces killing of on an average time of 7.5 hours. On an average 2500 vehicles can run only 15 kph as against its 50 kph during the traffic jam free roads.

Extent of traffic jam

All the street users in most cases blame each other for deteriorating the traffic jam in the city. The bus operators blame private cars while the latter do the opposite. But experts say uncontrolled and unplanned plying of motorised and non-motorised vehicles in insufficient road, insufficient mass transport facilities, lack of coordination among transport related agencies, illegal occupation of roads, footpaths, unscientific signal system, haphazard parking and inadequate parking facility and frequent intersections are among many other issues responsible for the city's gridlock.

The RHD study says that light to medium vehicles occupy 65 per cent of the road followed by buses and trucks with 20 per cent. Only 15 per cent road capacity was used by CNG auto-rickshaw. Dhaka Urban Transport Network Development Study (DHUTS) conducted under the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) in 2009 also found 22 intersections responsible for making the city traffic volume unmanageable. The city's highest traffic was counted at Sonargaon intersection where 10,799 vehicles move per hour in the morning and 9800 vehicles in the evening.

From New Market and Gulshan-2 intersection crossing experience, the study shows the queue of vehicles stretches up to more than 200 metres from the crossing points, On an average queue goes 90 metre in the morning and 250 metre in the evening. Traffic volume in Shahid Tazuddin road is 53,961, followed by 42,272 in Saidabad road and 32,658 in

Sonargaon from 6am to 10pm.

About 50 companies operate over 6000 buses in the city with ownership of over 1200 people. But some 50 big schools are also held responsible for causing the traffic jam early morning and some other specific time and location. DMP says traffic police work 3 to 4 hours to tackle hundreds of private cars that enter the school zones, mostly Dhanmondi, Gulshan, Banani to drop and pick up school and college going students from various parts of the city. A single girls' school cum college at Baily road creates traffic jam in the adjoining roads.

At least 11 government agencies are involved in traffic related activities in the city. They include Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkya (RAJUK), Bangladesh Roads and Transport Authority (BRTA), Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB), Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Bangladesh Railway (BR) and Department of Environment.

In Dhaka, Roads and Highways Department and the Dhaka City Corporation are in charge of building and repairing roads, the Bangladesh Roads Transport Corporation (BRTC) works as a main public transport provider and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) issues licenses and permits for new and old vehicles.

In addition, Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) look after the special projects such as flyovers, the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkhya (RAJUK) residential plannings and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) and Bangladesh Railway provide alternative transports.

The study conducted by a Japanese team found duplications in almost every layer of these agencies' work including traffic jam intersection operation, bus and bus-stop operation, improvement of traffic discipline, management facilities, safety and parking control. It

revealed that both DCC and DMP are involved in controlling street parking and introducing toll parking facilities while BRTA and DMP also work on traffic safety issue, keeping separate accident record system.

Though the JICA funded study DHUTS has suggested DTCB to coordinate all traffic management activities, the government has meanwhile planned to convert the board into mass rapid transit authority to run BRT, BRF and MRT -- three modern traffic system to transit high volume passengers from one corridor to another.

Priority projects and status

Soon after the present government's tenure began, it quickly initiated launching of big and mass transport related projects and the projects to improve the city's road capacity. The political reason made the government fixed the target of completion of most of these project before 2013, the last year of the present government. The government in many cases has skipped formal procedures like avoiding conducting feasibility study to implement the projects.

Among these projects, Dhaka elevated expressways (DEE), mass rapid transit (MRT), bus rapid transit (BRT), bus rapid franchise (BRF) are important considering their significant impact on increasing transit capacity of highest number of passengers from one corridor of the city to another and improve the road capacity. Besides, the government plans to construct overpass as well as underpass at the busy intersections or rail crossings. It has also planned to increase fleets of intercity railway service and launch overpasses to facilitate commuters to avoid traffic jam.

But after passing nearly two years, the government has only been able to give a shape of Dhaka elevated expressways (DEE), metro rail (MRT), bus rapid franchise (BRF) and so on. It has started to launch bus rapid

transit (BRT), but majority of these projects are still at the initial stage.

Dhaka Elevated Expressways

With over a year-long effort, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) is yet to select the bidder to construct the DEE over the city. Initially it had been planned to give construction work without feasibility study. But the government has to scrap its decision in the face of various queries by the participating bidders. The pre-qualification bidding of the US dollar 2.0 billion project was opened on November 19, 2009 and its awarding may take one month's more time to complete. Communications minister Syed Abul Hossain however says that the work will start in January after completing the signing of concessional agreements by this month. Till today, modalities of the agreement are yet to be finalised and the experts have still doubt about the completion of the first ever elevated expressway project before the end of the present government's tenure in 2013 as claimed by the minister.

The DEE is the project which was undertaken taking waiver from the cabinet committee on economic affairs on October 20 through build operate transfer (BOT) under Bangladesh private sector infrastructure guidelines (BPSIG). But it triggered criticism by experts.

The Italian-Thai Development Co Ltd and Thai Engineering Construction Co Ltd jointly conducted a pre-study during the past BNP government period suggesting first expressways from Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue to Sonir Akhra, second from Sonargaon Hotel to Sayedabad and third from Old Airport road to Uttara Satellite town.

Though the BBA, the executing agency of the over 20km road, suggested the bidders to conduct their own feasibility study for suggesting routes. It however was forced to appoint an international consultant

to do so being faced so many queries from the interested bidders during the process of tendering. Among four shortlisted companies, two submitted their proposals to compete for the construction of DEE. Finally the study recommended five routes for elevated expressways of which option 5 was chosen by the cabinet. But this route was not included in the pre-study.

Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)

Though the initiative to introduce metro rail in the city was taken by a local company, Contech Limited, in 2003, and won the bidding and received approval from the Cabinet in 2008, the present government started the project anew as was in the case of DEE.

The government at the beginning tried to skip detailed study on which a Japanese team was already working and wanted to call bids under the PPP initiative. Facing pressure from a Japanese development partner and experts' criticism, it however, decided to continue on a study which finally identified 20km route feasible for constructing first ever metro rail in the city. The study has suggested the government to construct the elevated metro rail (MRT) from Pallabi to Sayedabad through Rokeya Sarani, Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Dhaka University and Gulistan to avoid acquiring of both public and private lands. It was also proposed to avoid huge expense and time to construct the mass transport underground.

But experts still do have doubt about the success of the project. DTCB is still trying to protect the MRT project that has in clash with other transport related projects including DEE, flyovers, underpass and overpass. The need of MRT is the most important among other mass transport systems as it is the highest passenger and speedy

mode of vehicles in the world.

The DHUTS finds highest traffic between northern and southern parts of the city and has recommended extension of the route from Pallabi to Uttara through underground.

BRF

DTCB launched the Bus Route Franchise (BRF) on April 14 on Uttara-Azimpur route with a target to withdraw all small capacity public transports including mini buses, tempos and bring all bus companies under a company umbrella. Association of Bus Companies (ABC) planned to run 100 buses on the first route with brand name 'Suchona'. But it has been able to introduce only 50 buses. Now its number has gone down between 20 to 25. Most of these buses are uncomfortable. The ABC is yet to improve the facility including introduction of electronic ticket service. Rather ABC says the buses face unhealthy competition from other bus operators as they continued to ply more and more vehicles on the route giving bribe to the authority concerned. BRTC after buying low cost 100 CNG buses from China also introduced BRF between Mirpur and Sayedabad but commuters allege that these buses are like local buses picking and dropping passengers wherever they like.

BRT

The World Bank funded BRT that suggests creation of dedicated lane for buses to carry hundreds of passengers without interruption of other vehicles has been planned under the policy guiding of strategic transport plan under DTCB. The officials working on the project allege that too many supervision by the financiers has delayed the process of appointing consultant to carry detailed design. In such situation, the ministry proposed Asian Development bank to introduce BRT outskirts of the town through conducting study which just began few months ago.

Flyovers

Following a number

train accidents on the rail crossing, the government decided to construct overpasses on all the rail crossings in the city. DHUTS suggested to construct flyovers at intersections at Jatrabari-Saidabad, Hotel Sonargaon, Moghbazar intersection, New Circular Road and Kakrail road intersection, English Road intersection, Gulshan-1, Gulshan-2 intersections and New Airport road/Progati Shoroni.

The communication ministry however prepared six project proposals of which only three are in the process. Six flyovers planned over rail crossings in its heavy traffic locations were in Moghbazar, Malibagh, Saidabad, Jurain, Kawran bazaar and Banani Malibagh with an estimated cost of Tk 240 million. Now only Jurain and Banani flyovers are being constructed and the fate of the rest is uncertained.

After JICA withdrew its assurance to support Maghbazar flyover, the ministry during a coordination meeting suggested the local government department to plan a flyover from Sonargaon to Malibagh-Mouchak-Moghbazar without affecting the Hatirjheel project. Bangladesh Army is implementing the Banani flyover project connecting Mirpur from Banani rail crossing over to the Dhaka Cantonment area at its own cost. All the flyovers construction period was planned by 2012 at least four underpasses have been planned by RHD from Shahbagh crossing to Sonargaon which is the route of the MRT. One flyover from the Dhanmoni 32 has also been proposed by the communications minister to facilitate the car users of posh Dhanmondi areas.

Conclusion

Experts suggest improvement of traffic management which plans on 3E - enforcement, engineering and education. The JICA study team added two more Es with it which are environment and economy to get desire result on the streets.

British transport policy expert Stephen Ison during his visit to Bangladesh last year also suggested not to giving

focus on new road construction and public transport provision too much as those are not good solution to traffic congestion of a mega city like Dhaka. He rather accentuated more on traffic management to get a better result from the growing problem.

Bangladesh like mega cities would get better result through traffic management, physical restriction on car use, parking control, bus priority and provision for cyclists and pedestrians. Road building is a supply side measure taken on the basis of time saving but added that over the last decade, there has been a change of emphasis because of the notion that supply generates its own demand.

The British professor in his paper `Are transport policies from the developed world effective to mitigate transport problems in developing mega cities,' suggested policy makers in cities, regional governments and nations to share each other policies to utilize knowledge.

Instead, the government efforts on management, engineering and education are meager and claimed to be failed. The July 15 drive and subsequently November 1 drive on aged old vehicles and drivers this year could not bring any change in bringing discipline in the streets. Seizure of 20 years old buses and minibuses and 25 years old trucks and lorries would not reflect on lessening the number of vehicles. On the other hands, the proposals to discourage small cars through restricting bank loan, imposing higher tax for having more than one car and changing car import policy are yet to see the light though the prime minister directed in this connection in June/July this year.

The BRTA's proposals to stop registration of small cars for a certain time and increase gas price have been shelved

on the ground of socio-economic and political impact. Most of the cases, if any decision taken has gone against a certain quarter was either withdrawn or halted in the middle of implementation. The BRTA is yet to be strict on issuing new driving license and those of drivers driving with illegal vehicles. It has not done any improvement in its training module for both new and semi skilled old drivers keeping mind of the time. But the drivers are the forces responsible for killing more than 3000 people every year and deteriorating the traffic jam situation occupying the maximum road capacity.