"Dhaka traffic is a nightmare, it takes 2 hours to cover 10 kilometres" or "I am stuck in the same spot for last 30 minutes". Aren't these comments very familiar one to the ears of the readers who are residents of Dhaka metropolitan? Whatever is causing the jams, the economic consequences are clear. The country is growing at a very healthy pace of 7 per cent, fuelled by a revival in the industrial activities is continuing to expand despite different economic challenges including lack of proper infrastructure. But experts say it could be doing even better. A report in 2015 calculated that Dhaka’s traffic cost the economy a huge dent in terms of financial loss. Dhaka's traffic jam eats up about Taka 550 billion per annum, said experts of the sector. So Dhaka city plays a major role in wasting money due to traffic jam. The study jointly operated by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Bangladesh in 2010, said that the annual cost of traffic jam in capital Dhaka was around Taka 1 billion a day. According to the study, about 3.2 million business hours were lost per day due to the traffic jams. Abdullah Al Mamun, now a divisional engineer at Rangpur Roads and Highways Department, told that the number of vehicles has now increased manifold in Dhaka as compared to what it was in 2010.“The number of roads has not increased compared to vehicles, creating more traffic congestion in Dhaka. The financial loss caused by traffic congestion is 50% more than five years ago,” Mamun said. That means, the financial loss of traffic congestion in Dhaka comes to about Taka 1.5 billion per day and 550 billion per annum.Dealing with Dhaka traffic
The continuous maintenance of roads plays a critical role in easing the traffic movement
Masihul Huq Chowdhury
Dhaka traffic is a nightmare, it takes 2 hours to cover 10 kilometres or I am stuck in the same spot for last 30 minutes. Arent these comments very familiar one to the ears of the readers who are residents of Dhaka metropolitan? Whatever is causing the jams, the economic consequences are clear. The country is growing at a very healthy pace of 7 per cent, fuelled by a revival in the industrial activities is continuing to expand despite different economic challenges including lack of proper infrastructure. But experts say it could be doing even better. A report in 2015 calculated that Dhakas traffic cost the economy a huge dent in terms of financial loss. Dhakas traffic jam eats up about Taka 550 billion per annum, said experts of the sector. So Dhaka city plays a major role in wasting money due to traffic jam. The study jointly operated by the Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) and Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Bangladesh in 2010, said that the annual cost of traffic jam in capital Dhaka was around Taka 1 billion a day. According to the study, about 3.2 million business hours were lost per day due to the traffic jams. Abdullah Al Mamun, now a divisional engineer at Rangpur Roads and Highways Department, told that the number of vehicles has now increased manifold in Dhaka as compared to what it was in 2010.The number of roads has not increased compared to vehicles, creating more traffic congestion in Dhaka. The financial loss caused by traffic congestion is 50% more than five years ago, Mamun said. That means, the financial loss of traffic congestion in Dhaka comes to about Taka 1.5 billion per day and 550 billion per annum.
For any overseas landing in Dhaka for the first time, the sight of these traffic jams give a kind of mixed feeling, the first that of the buzzing economy with investment potential while the financial impact and working condition in the city raising cause of concerns.Dhaka is arguably the most densely populated city in the world. It lacks a mass transit system or a major freeway to support the 18 million people who live and work here. A 10 kilometre ride in an auto-rickshaw can take two hours in heavy traffic, during which one often has to contend with dust, exhaust fumes, extreme heat and noise pollution. Traffic laws arent usually enforced and vehicles move in an terrifying dance routine. To any adventure seeker, the these roller coaster rides may probably provide the same adrenaline rush like any hiking! Citizens of Dhaka experience the traffic jams in a way the rest of the world need to fathom, that the worst traffic jam in Mumbai or Cairo or Los Angeles is equivalent to a good day for Dhakas drivers. Experts agree.
In the 2016 Global Liveability Survey, the quality of life report issued annually by the Economist Intelligence Unit, Dhaka ranked 137th out of 140 cities, edging out only Lagos, Tripoli and war-torn Damascus; its infrastructure rating was the worst of any city in the survey. According to a CNN report, a 2012 study by Washington University in St. Louis noted that long commutes are associated with higher weights, lower fitness level and higher blood pressure all strong predictors of heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer.One of the stress triggers while driving during a traffic jam is impatiencehaving to wait for the traffic to move and dealing with the mistakes of other motorists on the road.Commuters who are exposed to air pollution, like those riding in non-airconditioned vehicles such as rickshaw, auto rickshaw and motorcycles, double their health risk.Aside from stress, they are also exposed to pollutants that can affect the lungs. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that air pollution itself alone is indirectly responsible for around 3.2 million deaths per year globally. The noise thus created also adversely impact the health of commuters including cognitive disorder, stress, lack of sleep. But the traffic situation do not only impact our health or psychological well being but impact us financially as well. The amount of fuel being burned in the streets may cross billions of dollars in foreign exchange. It is therefore one of the major perils in our daily lives.
How do we come out of the terrible situation indeed require a comprehensive plan and action there on with joint efforts from the people and regulatory bodies.
The plan may include three steps including intermediate, medium and long term. But, with the strategic plan also forecasting that the citys population will grow by 26m in the next 20 years, and its population density by as much as 50 per cent, officials are revving the engine just to stay still. A paper by the Copenhagen Consensus Center think-tank last year urged the government to go even further in expanding the bus network and restricting the citys fleet of rattling auto rickshaws.The actions which can be done now and in next one year can be classified as intermediate, from one year to three years may be termed as medium and requiring more than three years may be classified as longer term strategies.
Among the immediate action points we may look into adopting the following: 1. Car pooling whereby children going to the same school from the neighbourhood or people going to the office in same locality from the neighbourhood can share the vehicle;
2. Allowing alternative days for cars plying odd and even number plates;
3. Making the roads with heavy traffic one way for specific timings of the day and make a circular road way;
4. Charging road toll for commercial, official zones of the city for specific timing of the day when the traffic is heavy;
5. Adequate provisioning in the footpath for pedestrians and ensuring the security there on.
6. The stoppage of buses in the middle of road here and there, rickshaw stands on the important thorough ways need to be stopped immediately to remove the gridlock. On the other hand there needs to be cohesion between the traffic signal and the traffic police so that the movement of vehicles are synchronised properly;
7. The physical condition of roads do not only impact the vehicles but also slow down the vehicular movement.
The continuous maintenance of roads play a critical role in easing the traffic movement. We need more motorable roads in Dhaka city considering the size of population and importance of the city. Few of the examples like Hatir Jheel, Jatrbari-Gulistan flyover, Nikunja-Mirpur flyover etc have eased the traffic. The mass communication system like bus, metro and waterways may be deployed as medium term solution. The shifting of bus terminal from Mohakhali to outskirts may also be seen as medium term solution. The shifting of rail station from Kamlapur to Tongi can ease the traffic as the rail tracks which criss cross through the city then can be relaxed and released. This may be explored as a medium term solution. The street side parking of vehicles narrow down the roads and lanes. There are central parking lots across various major cities which may also be undertaken in our case. The airports in all the major cities are on the outskirts of the city. As a longer term solution, our airport may be shifted from Uttara. We may think of building an administrative capital like Putrajaya of Malaysia which has helped cities like KL. Places like parks and other green space and water bodies do not only help the beautification of any city but also work as reservoir of oxygen to absorb the carbon and other toxic releases. There were plenty of water bodies across the city which are now illegally been encroached. A concerted long term strategy may be adopted to recover those illegally encroached water bodies. It is not only the responsibility on the part of the government alone but we the people of the country also need to cooperate. For now, let us start using the zebra crossings and foot bridges next time we cross the streets. That is how the small deeds will collectively bring a sustainable and qualitative change in order to face the congestion of traffic jams.
The writer, a banker by profession, has worked both in local and overseas market with various foreign and local banks in different positions
