Traffic congestion in Dhaka city: Causes and measures
Dhaka is the mega city of the world with more than ten million populations. The Population density in Dhaka is highest in the world. The sewerage system, transportation, housing, traffic management etc in the Dhaka city are problematic. Thus, The city dwellers are facing a lot of problems in their everyday life. Among many other problems, traffic congestion is acute one which results into waste of time and money. The reasons responsible for traffic congestion include absence of Mass bus transit system, ambulance of slow moving rickshaws and auto rickshaws, lack of sufficient road apace, inefficient traffic management and lack of required traffic rules and even improper implementation of traffic rules.
Present state if transportation system in Dhaka city: Dhaka city has very small number of buses which is negligible in view of its requirements. There are only around fifteen thousand buses in the Dhaka city against estimated demand of 5000 buses. Low capacity and slow moving rickshaw is the major transport of the city followed by low capacity vehicle auto rickshaw. Only 2000 km road is available in the Dhaka metropolitan area. Road space is only three percent of the city space. In large cities like Dhaka, road space should ideally be more than 20% of the city space. Moreover, the city is concentrated in a limited area about 500000 rickshaws are playing in the city. In spite of many limitations some companies have come forward with some new facilities. Nirapad, Premium, shapla etc. are the name of some air-conditions buses playing in the city with enough comfort and luxury.
Traffic congestion in the Dhaka city is the result of a lot of factors. Such as –
Absence of Mass bus transit system: Mass bus transit system is the most efficient mode of transportation in major cities of the world. The road space occupied per passenger in bus is by far lower than that in rickshaw and auto rickshaw. Consequently, bus can carry a large number of passengers occupying smaller road space that insures free flow of traffic.
Abundance of Rickshaws: The city presently has been swept by 500000 rickshaws growing at the rate of twenty percent each year rickshaws carry forty eight percent of the total passenger trips occupying seventy three percent of the road space. As it is slow moving vehicle playing on the same tack with other motorized and non motorized vehicles, the overall traffic flow slow down. A rickshaw carrying only one or two passengers occupies a mass larger road space in comparison to a bus per passenger. As this is driven manuals, it is slow and it cannot be directed quickly towards the required direction.
Lack of Sufficient Road space: A large city should have road space at least twenty percent of the total city space. But in Dhaka city road space is estimated to be only three percent of the total city space. In comparison to other large cities of the world the city size per million of population in Dhaka is much less. Such concentration of residence leads to the concentration of vehicles that contributes to the congestion.
The phenomenal growth of High-rises: The development of transportation and related infrastructure has failed to keep space with the increasing population. The phenomenal growth of high-rises in the 90s makes the scenario more complex. The number of high rises has grown in alongside a single road link stretching all most the length of the city in the north-south direction.
Problems with the traffic laws and management: The traffic laws available in our country are not enough for efficient traffic management. More particularly, the punishment for violation of traffic laws in not effective. Moreover, the police forces, engaged in the traffic management in the city, are not efficient and sincere in performing their duties.
Insufficient car parking palace: Many sky rising are build without planning, so, various markets are built centering such building, people come to buy necessary things in such market but they are not given any place for parking. So, the general public remain their vehicle have and there.
Realizing Footpath: It is common scenario that footpath are summed to as a marketing place of hawker in some case the common proverb reminds us its excellencies might is right and law enforcers keep the rule of jam maker of law breakers. So, their strict action is very needed to handle such situation. Otherwise, footpaths will herm in to a market place.
For getting rid of traffic congestion problem, both the government and private sector should come forward with innovation programs and initiatives:
Model shift of vehicle: Road space is occupied by per passenger of buses is much lass that of other. So to optimize the use of costly road space of such a congested city the low capacity rickshaws and auto-rickshaws are to be replaces with hic capacity buses. If the number of buses increase and the rickshaws and auto rickshaws decrease, the total number of vehicle on the city street will decrease sufficiently as each bus can carry a large number of passengers. So the traffic congestion must as a result of such model shift.
Increase of road space: As increase of road space involves relocation of a large number of costly intellection, is very difficult and costly. However there are some areas in the city where road spaces van be increase by concerned authority.
Improving the traffic Management System: Prompt initiatives should be taken for improving the traffic management system in the city. In this direction installation of sophisticated traffic signals and traffic directing instrument can improve the system slightly.
Lane Marking & lane discipline enforcement: The existing road space of the Dhaka city is not large enough to be divided into discreet lanes of different kinds of vehicles especially when non-motorized transport like rickshaw and pull cars continue to remain on the road in large number.
Reformation of traffic laws: The existing lows of the country should be reformed. Provision should be made to insure the punishment for violation of traffic rules and regulations.
Phase-out of rickshaws: The rickshaws and auto rickshaws should be phase out of the in the Dhaka city.
Compulsion of keeping parking place: All center code building like- plaza, hospital, residential building should follow the code of parking system. If anyone do not follow will fine to follow this code.
After above it is clear that the problem of traffic congestion in Dhaka city could not be solved totally overnight. Rather it needs long term initiatives. However the initiatives taken so far are praiseworthy which include construction of flyovers at different point of the city, formation of different transport companies under which a large number of luxurious buses, taxi and CNG auto rickshaws are playing in the city. (N)
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