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TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN DHAKA CITY, ITS EFFECT
AND MEANS OF ITS ERADICATION
Introduction
1. The traffic jam at DHAKA is an increasing suffering of DHAKA
life. Over the last few years this traffic system of DHAKA City has
visibly been deteriorating steadily and has reached to a nightmare
proportions. Pretty soon walking to offices may be quicker than a car
ride, the downside being that one could be suffocated on the way by
the obnoxious fumes and sound from thousands of idling vehicles
nonchalantly spreading poison into homes and communities. In a
recent past a public survey showed that, DHAKA suffers as many as
37 public problems where traffic jam topped the list. Educational
institutions, business establishments, government offices, in fact
everything pays a price in terms of loss of time, patience and
energy. By this, they lose their health and mental temperament as
well. Even the dying patients are also not spared. This problem could
even reduce the incentive for domestic and foreign investment and
pose a serious threat to the country's growth momentum. Unless
corrective actions are taken soon, there is a risk that this could
sharply reduce the city's productivity.
2. The state of traffic system is a accumulated contribution of
many force and factors starting from an individual citizens
irresponsible act up to the management system and the attention of
the government itself. The population of DHAKA is about 16 million
which is undoubtedly more than its capacity. And unfortunately, this
number is in a high rate of increase. Naturally, the people need
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vehicles for their everyday movements. Thus the city is over loaded
with traffic and overburdened with more vehicles on its roads than
its capacity. Often WASA, T&T and DESA are found digging the road
causing the siding the traffic jam on the roads. RIKSHAW the non-
motorized vehicle is another major cause of the traffic jam DHAKA
city. Besides, Poor city management, low efficiency, and pervasive
corruption are exacerbating the problems of traffic jam.
4. It is obvious that unless the road traffic issue is handled as
seriously as it deserves, DHAKA will soon be rendered immobile as a
city and the country as a whole will start falling economically.
Considering the above serious facts this paper aims to bring out the
main causes of this serious traffic jam of DHAKA city with its effects
and to high light some remedial measures with few
recommendations.
FEW FACTS
6. The City DHAKA. DHAKA is the capital and largest city of
Bangladesh. DHAKA was founded during the 10th century and it
served as the Mughal capital of Bengal from 1608 to 1704. DHAKA
was the trading center for British, French, and Dutch colonialism.
Thats why a huge number of important establishments such as
Parliament, Central Secretariat, two main Universities, BDR
Headquarter, Army Head Quarter etc are situated at the heart of the
city. Hundreds of schools and colleges are situated at different
crowded places of the city. The main Airport of the country and
Central train station is also inside the city and the main intercity
train level crossings penetrate the city roads. So the amount of2
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public movement and traffic on the road is also huge and this load is
increasing day by day.
7. Population. The main problem in DHAKA City is its
population, which lead to many kind of problems. The population of
DHAKA city stands at approximately 16.7 million. DHAKA is among
the 6 megacities of South Asia which by this year (2010) will be
included among the 20 mega cities of the world.
8. Most Affected Areas at DHAKA. The worst traffic-vulnerable
points include from Jatrabari, Hatkhola to Tongi Bishwa Road. Now-a-
days residential areas are also experiencing heavy traffic-jam. This is
due to establishment of many schools, colleges, private universities
and other educational institutions in those areas. Moreover, many
offices, particularly private-owned offices and factories, are also
located in the residential areas resulting in heavy traffic-jam.
CAUSES OF TRAFFIC JAM AT DHAKA
General
9. Urbanization Dhaka is consider the focal point of Bangladesh
centering which administration of whole country run. So people of
Bangladesh are always heading to dhaka to meet official and otherrequirements. So day by day population matrix is going hight and
high. This high density of population due to urbanization is one of
the major cause of traffic jam at Dhaka.
Road network and Structure
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10. The traffic problem of present DHAKA City is not developed
overnight. It is the cumulative failures on the part of appropriate
authority over the decades. Since Moghal Regime many structural
plan was formulated for infrastructure development of DHAKA City.
All these plans could not foresee the huge population influx in the
city and was not properly implement.
11. Insufficient Road Space. The roads of DHAKA are narrow and
insufficient for allowing the traffic to pass. Specially, the roads at old
DHAKA are horrifying in this regard. The roads have got little widergradually in northern areas yet falling much short to meet the
requirement.
12. Lack Of Foot Over Bridge. At places the movement of
people on road is so unavoidable that it causes the vehicles to stop
or slowdown. A good arrangement of over bridges could contributemuch in solving this problem.
13. Broken Roads. Under the growing load of traffic, roads are
getting cratered and potholed. Roads with innumerable potholes, a
cloud of dust, accumulated water in the ditches and smoke blowing
over the commuter's face as vehicles pass by are features symbolicof the squalid state of the city in summer. These also slows down
the traffic and causing a good jam.
14. Too Many Level Crossing. Traffic movement comes to a
grinding halt for at least 10 to 15 minutes each time when a train
starting either from Kamalapur or bound for Kamalapur passes
through any busy intersection. It is worth mentioning that there are4
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about 20 rail gates within the city limits and 72 trains pass through
these intersections during the day time.
Law and policy
15. Poor Policing. Our traffic polices are mere poor infront of the
requirement of the traffic. They are really understrength, poor
trained, unfed, without sufficient logistic backup and finally corrupt.
16. Faulty Signaling. The signaling system at the crosses of
DHAKA is - the old. This manual signaling is not helpful in managing
the incoming traffic. At places this signal system fails to cope up
with the requirement of the time and the direction of the traffic.
17. Lack of Popular Laws. The laws in vogue for controlling the
traffic have to commensurate with the population and the
requirement of the situation. If the amount of population and vehicle
cannot be controlled then the traffic control system and law will
always fail. More importantly these laws have to be enforced and
people are to abide by the laws.
18. Faulty Licensing System. In 2008 alone, about 14,000 cars
and another 5,000 personal passenger vehicles (jeeps and SUVs)
were registered in DHAKA. The number of privately owned and
operated motor vehicles registered in the five years to 2008 was
double that of the previous five year period.
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Source: CEIC Asia database. Rumi Ahmed and Jyoti
Rahman
18. Illigal Parking. Another major source of traffic jam is the unruly
buses. They dont follow any time schedule and are waitinganywhere and everywhere. In many cases the bus stops have been
placed either at the turnings and/or next to the traffic lights.
Besides, there is nowhere left on the road in the roads of DHAKA
that there is no parked vehicle. This irresponsible attitude of people
occupies the space left for traffic.
Faulty Management
19. DCC verses WASA, DESA and T&T. Few organizations like
DCC, RAJUK, WASA, DESA, TITAS GAS keeps on working on the roads
of DHAKA. Unfortunately, these urban amenities do not have any co-
ordination among them. Instead of working together, they wait for
each other to finish and start their own job and they keep on6
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excavating earth at places.
20. Shops and Hawkers. At places, be it a residential area or a
market or an office area either hawkers or the extension of nshops
have occupied the last bit space available for the vehicles to ply.
There is none to look after the issue and help the city to remain jam
free.
21. Special Situations. Traffic-jam takes serious turn during the
holy month of Ramadan, during rainy season and during special
occasions like Bishwa Iztema, international trade fair etc and there is
no contingency of the government to tackle these special situations.
Other causes
22. Rickshaw.There are as good as four lac of rickshaw on the road
of DHAKA when only eighty thousand of them are licensed by the
DCC authority. Rest of the non-motorized human haulers are one of
the major causes of traffic jam in DHAKA. They are slow in pace,
occupying a lot of space and cause jam in the streets of DHAKA.
EFFECTS OF TRAFFIC JAM OF DHAKA
Environment and Public health
23. Air Pollution. Traffic-jam causes air pollution which affects the
respiratory tract, irritation, headache, fatigue, asthma, high blood
pressure, heart diseases and cancer.
24. Behavioral Hazard. Experiments on behavioral science show
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that even insects demonstrate aggressive behavior when they are
placed in a crowded situation. Therefore, it comes as no surprise to
see that in a traffic jam of DHAKA pedestrians, the rickshaw-pullers,
CNG drivers, van-walahs, and bus, truck and car drivers all vie for
tiny spaces with noticeable aggression and utter disregard for
others' right of way.
25. Lose of Efficiency. The cost of traffic jams is horrendous.
Other than being late in the offices, work places or on any scheduled
appointments, mental disgust, exhaustion and loss of effective man
hours is a colossal drain of the resources of the whole country.
27. Transportation and Attitude. As a scientific phenomenon
transportation is related not only with engineering aspects of road
and vehicle, but also with social aspects like peoples attitude, their
physical fitness, patience, expectation, social cultural etc and
countrys economic reality and capability to spend. And in a city this
traffic congestion is caused by the lack of patience of population as
well as it it gradually it badly affects general attitude.
National economy
28. DHAKA is the epi-centre of Bangladesh's economic
modernization. From a stodgy city of the past, the capital city has
turned into a thriving business centre. When the rest of the world
including our neighboring country India has taken care to speed up
road construction by upgrading technology, we continue to pay
scant attention. It's really bizarre to see a figure like 96 Billion Taka
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($1.53 billion) is being wasted each year due to traffic jams in the
city.
Steps Taken By The Government To Eliminate Traffic
Congestion
31. General. Recognizing the need of urgent road infrastructure
development, Government of Bangladesh undertook many steps to
solve traffic problem of DHAKA City. The government tried to solve
this problem by making roads one way at places. Two fly-overs have
been constructed at MOHAKHALI and SHAHJAHANPUR at DHAKA.
Sometimes, the police are found really prudent in applying the laws.
Even sometimes, military was involved to reduce the traffic
congestion on roads. Besides, the government undertook many
study and evaluation program on this issue. But unfortunately,
people keeps waiting in to get rid of this monster crisis.
32. Removal of Rickshaws. Removal of rickshaws with time frame
from few selected roads is also a proposed plan. This three wheeler
has already been banned at many streets of DHAKA and these
streets have shown marked improvement in traffic condition. This
has confirmed the removal of this NMV from the streets of DHAKA in
the process of time.
33. DMP. DMP is the executive authority working to maintain
traffic discipline in the city. They are bitterly facing the horrific
picture of traffic congestion of the city. They have already
undertaken many test and trail systems at times among which many
were brushed away by the overwhelming traffic congestions.
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34. Causes of Failure of the Government Attempts. Many of the
government a4ttempts were proved to be failure because of many
reasons like delay in implementation, rapid increase in traffic, non-
adherence by the people to the said rules, lack of patience etc.
REMEDIAL MEASURES TO ERADICATE TRAFFIC JAM FROM
DHAKA
Policy and law
35. Good Policing. It has been taken for true that the present
strength of police really too small to meet the crisis. They have to be
given more man, power better training and equipment and total
traffic system can be made automated.
36. Parking Policy. A good and effective parking policy is to beformulated and made in to vogue. Any violation of these policy and
rules has to be dealt with severely. The building code of the city has
to be made such that it compels the owner of the buildings, markets,
schools other all commercial and residential complexes to make
adequate number of parking space for the vehicles of that building.
37. The Vehicle Licensing Authority. The vehicle licensing
authority to be made more active to ensure that no old vehicle
beyond the age limit is given permission to ply on the roads. At the
same time the vehicles get their papers updated and in doing so is
identified for wrong paper and age. In doing all these the licensing
authority can control the number of vehicle on road.
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38. Law Enforcement. A determined and constant watch must be
kept on buses and other public vehicles to ensure that they use
proper stoppages rather than stop anywhere at drivers' whims.
39. Change in Vehicle Culture. The corporate culture of
rewarding people with cars and the social culture of cars - being
status symbols, need to be discouraged. The government can hire
buses for public servants. Business houses can transport everyone
from the CEO to the peon in buses.
Structural development
40. Short Term Planning. The authorities should begin working
on the short term approach, for that can pave the path for a longer
term handling of the problem.
a. High tax rate for private cars. There are two options here
(1) Manage the importation of cars .
(2) Levy higher taxes on private cars.
On the first point, it is imperative to severely limit imports by
tying the number of imported cars to the number of old and
polluting cars that must be retired from the streets according to
their year of manufacture. taxes should be raised to a point
where it is uneconomical to own a car.
b. Banning of Old Vehicles. Removal of old vehicles from the
streets is needed urgently. This can come about through
making sure that no corruption is involved and that traffic
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personnel do not prove vulnerable to illegal gratification.
c. Removing All Hawkers from Roads. The next step can be
freeing of the innumerable pavements in the city through a
determined eviction of make-shift tea stalls, shop items put out
on display and the like since these have badly impeded public
movement.
e. Immediate Repair of Broken Road. Measures may be
taken to ensure that the broken roads are repaired quickly to
maintain the traffic flow normal.
f. Foot Over Bridge. At places where more people are seen
crossing the road causing the vehicles to stop and get jammed
may be provided with foot over bridges. This provides safety of
the people besides reducing the traffic jam.
41. Long Term Planning. The concentration of traffic on the
roads of DHAKA shows all the sing of increasing in many folds in
each year. So there is no alternative to a long term planning to
address this issue. The long term planning may include the following
things :
a. More No of DHAKA bypass. More number of roads
encircling DHAKA to facilitate unwanted traffic flowing through
DHAKA. These may include CHANDURA PANCHDONA
connecting road, MIRZAPUR FARIDPUR connecting road etc.
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b. More Number of Flyover And Underpasses. Long
term planning of DHAKA traffic system may include more
number of flyovers and underpasses at critical places of
DHAKA.
c. Widening Road Space. It is abundantly clear that there
are too many vehicles on the streets that usurp every inch of
road capacity. Space constraint is critical and can be addressed
in several ways:
(1) Widen the roads to increase capacity.
(2) Reduce and replace the number of vehicles on the
streets .
(3) Allocate street usage to certain vehicles types at
certain time slices in certain locations.
d. Complete Banning of Non-Motorized Vehicles. Non-motorized vehicles (NMVs) cause traffic jams. They do not
follow traffic rules, clog up most intersections and slow down
faster traffic by occupying valuable road space while
contributing to tremendous inefficiencies.
Improvement in Management
42. Removal of Few Public Institute Away From DHAKA. A big
piece of the traffic conundrum lies in DHAKA-centric development.
The way out is to share development activities with other districts.
a. Government can shift all wholesale markets, government
administrative offices Headquarters, University, DHAKA central
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jail, all industries, tanneries, to outside of DHAKA city.
b. Industrializations should be based on upozila it should not
depend on metropolitan cities. Then rural areas will grow up
step by step.
c. Big business centre can move to COMILLA, FENI,
SHITAKUDO, MIRERSHARAI, CHITTAGONG, KHULNA, MONGLA,
SYLHET etc or near it because thats are linked with export or
imports.
43. Public Awareness. Public awareness is one of the most
important and effective tool or means for getting rid from this
exhausting traffic jam from the roads of DHAKA. If people can be
made responsible by themselves all the problem of DHAKA life will
come to an end.
Other Measures
44. Adjustment of Collective Timing. Segmenting the clock for
various purposes may help achieving reduction in traffic jam. For
this the government may plan that all timings for offices, education
institutes, Banking hour etc should start and close at varying times
so that traffic load is distributed round clock.
45. Inter Organization Coordination. Policy makers, city
planners, researchers and the related directorates and offices must
sit together and find ways and means to address the problem.
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Coordination among the DESA, T&T, WASA, DCC ect is very urgent
and important.
CONCLUSION
46. DHAKA, being the capital of the country focuses all our national
activities and is the showground of national image to the
international arena. It alone contributes 13 per cent of national GDP.
In spite of its absolute importance in image building and economy,
acute deficiencies exist in infrastructure for transportation and trafficsystem of the city.
47. Large numbers of old and defective vehicles are presently
plying in the city street. The deplorable conditions of the roads in
DHAKA City are further affected by narrowness, numerous bends,
random political activity, unplanned installations, uncoordinatedwork of utility services etc. Traffic mismanagement is another
major cause of congestion in the city. Most of the drivers drive
vehicles in a competitive mode violating lane discipline. Traffic
police are reluctant and their number is also inadequate to control
such activity.
48. Traffic congestion results in stalemate of city life and generates
anger and frustration among the dwellers. It too incurs huge
financial loss of the country. DMP recommended certain measures
to reduce the traffic congestion in the city. It is praise worthy to
mention that the government has banned the two stroke auto-
rickshaws. Recently government has taken active measure to
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remove 20,000 twenty years old aged vehicles and illegal rickshaws
from the city. These steps would certainly ease up traffic congestion.
49. To save the city from intolerable traffic congestion, due
concentration should be given on transport infrastructure
development, effective traffic management system and
improvement of public transportation system. Urban development
with coherent road facility, improvement of pedestrian facilities,
control over NMT and institutional development should also be in the
agenda. However, in general the overall plan of removing DHAKAs
traffic congestion can be integrated as immediate, short-term and
long-term action plan. Immediate action plan suggests improvement
of traffic law enforcement, improving coordination among utility
services work, development of existing drainage system, restriction
on movement of NMT on specified roads and motivation for drivers
and general mass on the use of road. Short-term Plan includes two
to five year development plans on strengthening traffic police,
improvement of intersections, increasing public transportation
facility, creating more jobs outside the city etc. Long-term action
plan is mainly structure plan of five years and over. It may also
include construction of city bypass roads, construction of circular
waterways around the city, modernization of existing bus terminals,
establishing truck terminals etc.
50. For easy and uninterrupted movement, DHAKA city without
traffic jam is very much desirable. This will mitigate the sufferings of
the people. Moreover, valuable time will also be saved. Violation of
traffic rules be stopped. We do not want old and dilapidated vehicles
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in the streets. Nor we want unauthorized parking of vehicles here
and there. We want a clean city free from traffic jam. It is
encouraging that the government is working in this direction.
Working together, we can achieve the goal.
RECOMMENDATIONS
51. To imprve the present situation the government has to
undertake required measured immediately. No doubt that this state
cannot be corrected overnight but the more the government is late
the the people will suffer. The recommended steps may include the
following actions.
52. Policy and law. There has to be definite change in
policing on the road which will be supported by good law and
policies. A strict parking policy may also be formulated as well.
53. The Vehicle Licensing Authority. The Vehicle Licensing
Authority may be mad emore responsible in this regard.
54. Law Enforcement. No good result will come until all this rules
and regulation are made effective.
55. Structural development. Due consideration may be put on this
regard a plan may be formulated on time basis. These plans may
include the following items.
a. Short Term Planning. This may be done with a view to
stop the increase of car on road. To do this high tax rate for
private cars may be imposed, old vehicles may be made
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banned, besides, the road space may also be increased by
removing all hawkers from roads. The traffic flow may be
retained by arranging immediate repair of broken roads. These
all may be aided with foot over bridges at specific locations.
b. Long Term Planning. Long term planning may include
more no of DHAKA bypassed to avoid extra traffic through
Dhaka, more number of flyover and underpasses to ease up
the traffic on road, complete banning of Non-Motorized Vehiclessice they make the roads lazy and inefficient. All these steps
may be considered as long term planning.
55. Improvement in Management. We have to under go
development process in case of our management process also. Like
coordinating the activities of T&T, WASA and DESA, we have to stop
pressurizing DHAKA anymore instead, we have to shift many of our
installments at the other places of the country. And finally, The
population has to be made trained and educated in this regard as
well.
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