There have been many dialogues, researches, plans and master-plans on reducing the intolerable traffic jams routinely faced by city-dwellers in metropolis Dhaka. It was previously claimed that construction of flyovers would lead to lessening of this malaise. But that has not happened. Therefore, new methods are being tested for the purpose of reducing congestion on the roads of Dhaka.
A research paper of the World Bank was presented at an international conference held in the capital in mid-July. The paper revealed that at least Tk 300 billion were lost each year due to traffic jams in Dhaka city. The motorised vehicles cannot surpass an average speed of more than 7.0 km per hour here by any means. Many experts, however, opine that the actual speed cannot be over 6.0 km on an average. Needless to say, if such a trend continues, then the motor vehicles would not be able to run at more than 4.0 km an hour by 2025. These figures show that the city destinations can be reached faster on foot than by motorised transports. All these indicate an immobile Dhaka waiting for us in the not too distant a future.
With 36 per cent of the country's urban population living in Greater Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital has now become one of the most densely populated cities in the world. The country must manage Dhaka's urban growth in order to achieve its vision of becoming a middle-income country by the year 2021. This includes taking full advantage of Eastern Dhaka - where there is ample availability of land near the core of the city - in order to increase the city's economic opportunities and livability, a World Bank analysis pointed out during the recently held international conference on Dhaka.
According to the World Bank, "Dhaka's urban development has not kept up with the city's rapid growth, resulting in a messy and uneven urbanization process. Lack of adequate planning has led to congestion, poor livability, and vulnerability to floods and earthquakes. Many residents, including the 3.5 million slum dwellers, often lack access to basic services, infrastructure, and amenities. In the last 10 years, average traffic speed has dropped from 21 km/hour to 7 km/hour, only slightly above the average walking speed. Congestion in Dhaka eats up 3.2 million working hours per day".
"Between 1995 and 2005, road surface in Dhaka increased by only 5.0 per cent, while population increased by 50 per cent and traffic by 134 per cent. Dhaka's urbanisation originated along the northern corridor of the central region, and then expanded westward. Its eastern half is mostly rural but has the potential to develop rapidly. Accounting for 40 per cent of the city's surface, it has the advantage of being within 5.0 kms of prosperous areas like Gulshan, which can help support its growth through capital and human resource investments".
Twenty years ago, the average speed of vehicles on the Dhaka roads was 25 km per hour. After five years, it became 18 km per hour. Dhaka Integrated Transport Study (DITS) measured that speed for the first time in 1994. The same report was prepared by the DUTP (Dhaka Urban Transport Plan) in 1998. Now, the revised STP (Strategic Transport Plan) says that the average speed of motor vehicles on the roads of Dhaka city is only 6.4 km per hour. That means, the mobility of the city-dwellers has become almost stagnant. If this trend continues, then this whole city would come to a standstill after ten years.
It was revealed during the above-mentioned conference that the major cause of traffic jams in Dhaka city was private cars. According to an estimate of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), the number of private cars plying on Dhaka roads during May 2017 was seven times higher than buses and mini-buses. According to information presented at the Jatiya Sangsad, a total of 110,018 vehicles were registered in Dhaka city during 2016-17 financial year. The total number of vehicles in the city until 31 May this year was 11,25,000. According to information supplied in 2015, over 317 vehicles were descending on Dhaka's roads everyday, of which 53 were private cars. On the other hand, the road surface area in Dhaka city is only 7.0 per cent of the total area, whereas the experts point to the mandatory requirement of at least 30 per cent.
Consequently, it is quite clear that the road surface area in Dhaka is hugely insufficient, as we have only one-fourths of the required roads in the metropolis. Against this scenario, the number of motor vehicles has more than doubled during the past five years. Besides, at least 15 per cent of the roads have been occupied illegally through different means. According to an STP (strategic transport plan) estimate, cars carrying only 15 per cent of the passengers occupy 70 per cent of the road space in Dhaka city. The remaining 85 per cent passengers use some kind of mass transports. Consequently, the mass transports get the opportunity of using only 30 per cent of the roads. Only 1.0 per cent of the population own private cars, but the roads have been mostly occupied by them. In contrast, the buses carry around 50% of the passengers. In addition, train movements are facilitated in the city by closing gates at 17 points of the metropolis at least 10 times per day, which exacerbates the traffic congestion situation. The pedestrians are also a cause of traffic congestion as they prefer to cross the roads on foot instead of using foot over-bridges or underpasses. Besides, frequent digging of roads without proper coordination among relevant agencies, setting up of markets on footpaths and roads, unauthorised parking, violations of traffic rules (including by VIPs) etc. also contribute substantially to the traffic mess in Dhaka city.
If the overall communication network was good, then people would have relied on the railways and left Dhaka. They would have attended office by commuting from home. Such a situation exists in many other countries. If people could arrive in fifteen minutes, why would the inhabitants of Narayanganj live in Dhaka?
The following are some of the options for improving the traffic situation in Dhaka city without requiring huge investment outlays, as put forward by some experts on the subject:
l Traffic jams can be reduced substantially by freeing the roads and footpaths of Dhaka city from illegal occupations, and stopping illegal parking and jay-walking on the roads by pedestrians.
l The strategic transport plan (STP) prepared in 2009 for reducing the traffic congestion in Dhaka should be implemented fully first before taking up any revised strategic plan.
l Mass transport services mainly consisting of buses owned by a few large companies should be made fully operational within metropolis Dhaka. Side by side, the rising trend of private cars should be halted, if not drastically reduced, through different means including fiscal and monetary disincentives, curbs and restrictions. Measures like ceiling of 1 or 2 cars per family and allowing cars having odd and even number-plates to ply on alternate days (as has been successfully implemented in cities like New Delhi) may also be considered.
l If the rivers surrounding Dhaka city could be used more widely and effectively for the purpose of transportation, then the pressure on roads would have diminished considerably. If viable water launch services could be launched and made effective around the city, then many city-dwellers would have availed that service, as has been observed in many countries including Thailand.
l Pedestrians should be given top priority in the city's transportation schemes, and the network of footpaths should be expanded rapidly to cater to their needs throughout the city.
Dr. Helal Uddin Ahmed is a former editor of Bangladesh Quarterly.
