Troubled traffic system of Dhaka city

Lack of inter-agency coordination that is one of the major reasons for the capital city's chaotic traffic management (or, mismanagement), has now turned worse. A report published in this paper early this week gives an idea about the state of traffic management in Dhaka city. It highlighted, among others, the conflicting attitude of two different government entities involved in the road transport affairs of the city. The city is running one of the most chaotic traffic systems in the world. Based on the findings of a 2013 survey, the Dhaka Traffic Coordination Authority (DTCA) suggested to reduce in phases the existing number of bus routes by more than half within the next seven years (2020). But the agency that grants permission for opening of bus routes in the city did not follow the suggestion and did just the opposite. That has apparently worsened Dhaka's traffic situation.  

The Regional Transport Committee (RTC) of Dhaka, with the Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) as its head, approved the introduction of 58 new bus routes since the DTCA had recommended for reduction in the number of the same. The DTCA had made expertly suggestions, taking into consideration the traffic load-bearing capacity of the city roads and the overlapping bus services and routes. On its part, the RTC, which is dominated by non-experts including officials and owners and workers of passenger motor vehicles, took decisions apparently in a different context. It is alleged that the granting of permission to new bus routes, in most cases, has something to do with political influence as well as graft.

There is no reason to see the traffic problems of Dhaka city in isolation. In fact, an anarchic situation prevails in the country's road transport sector as a whole. The government agencies involved in the sector have become passive onlookers of the continued deterioration of the situation while the owners of passenger transports and transport workers have been calling the shot. Such vested interests have always flexed their muscle to maintain their dominance. Of late, they have become more powerful. The relevant government authorities are unfortunately found to accommodate easily such pressures coming from these quarters. Thus the official leniency has rather emboldened the pressure groups to give a damn to laws and rules regulating the transport sector. The unabated rise in road accidents that have meanwhile been claiming dozens of human life every day, is a pointer to that fact.

What the DTCA and the RTC have done in the case of opening new bus routes exposes the lack of coordination between them. The absence of coordination is also witnessed in other areas of the transport sector. Undeniably, the existing road network of Dhaka does not have the capacity to accommodate new vehicles. The transport sector planning should aim at reducing the number of vehicles while ensuring the availability of efficient means of mass transport.  The metro rail and the bus rapid transit (BRT) projects, when completed, would help achieve that objective. The metro rail might also help to reduce the number of private cars. Meanwhile, the authorities do need to seriously think about introducing air-conditioned bus services on different routes in Dhaka. This will particularly help many middle class commuters to avoid the use of their private cars on week days.