To many of us who commute every day in Dhaka, the city has the worst traffic congestion in the world. Moreover, it is steadily deteriorating. Not only does this affect mobility and mental health, it also has a big impact on our economy. According to a World Bank report, in the last 10 years, the average traffic speed in Dhaka has dropped from 21 kilometres per hour (kmph) to 7.0 kmph, and by 2035, the speed might drop to 4.0 kmph, which is slower than the walking speed. The WB report also claims that an additional 40 per cent fuel is burnt during these traffic jams. The experts of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies and Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh say that some 6.0 to 10 per cent of the country's GDP is lost indirectly to the city's traffic congestion.
Many megacities in the world suffer from traffic jam. But what we have in Dhaka is not traffic jam, it is traffic mismanagement. In our view, the congestion may be reduced by 40-50 per cent just by improving the management of traffic and public awareness. In this age, traffic is managed mostly by auto signal light. But we are still relying on our traffic police who try to manage traffic only by their hand gestures --- a primitive method. Automation must replace it as soon as possible. Otherwise, all our economic achievements may go down the drains.
Bipro Debnath, Md Moshiur Rahman and Md Rabiul Hasan Rahat,
Students of North South University, Dhaka,
bipro.debnath@northsouth.edu, moshiur.rahman6@northsouth.edu, rabiul.hasan18@northsouth.edu