Absence of correct diagnosis to ease traffic jams : Some suggestions
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Karar Mahmudul Hassan
There are some common talks and high thoughts heard from the experts both national and international and bureaucrats-turned consultants and scholars or both, some of them in the meanwhile managed doctoral degree, who love to give prescriptions on traffic issues occasionally to audiences, at seminars, TV talks, workshops, round tables almost every day in and day out, the contents of those which may be summarized as below:
a) The size of Dhaka city roads is less than 7 per cent whereas it should have been at least 25 per cent of the total land area.
b) Fragrant violation of traffic laws almost continuously by the vehicle operators (drivers).
c) There are laws governing fitness of buses but one sees hundreds of faulty buses bumper to bumper, on the streets and almost round the clock.
d) DMP conducts traffic week twice or thrice a year but absence of follow-up actions usually lead the exercise meaningless.
e) Old, unfit buses still running on city streets unabated. A survey conducted by BRTA states that 504 buses, 2,998 minibuses given permission for operation in the Dhaka city, are aged between 15 and 20 years and another 890 buses and minibuses are aged between 10 and 15 years. After lapses of more than two years, since the survey was conducted the number of old and unfit buses with further deteriorated condition might have increased substantially on the city roads, contributing to traffic complications faster and several defective buses go out of order while plying on the streets creating unwarranted jams very often, BRTA officials say,
e) There is obvious lack of regular effective traffic management which is causing traffic congestions lasting hours together in the capital city on different streets including VIP road.
f) The rail crossings at different points in Dhaka city to and from Kamalapur Railway Station were pinpointed to be another major reason of traffic congestion in the capital. According to this diagnosis, a news item was published in a Bengali daily which said that the government has taken decision at a high level meeting held in the LGRD & C ministry to suspend train movement to and from Kamalapur railway station for 2 hours and 40 minutes every day in the morning (8 am to 9.30 am) and in the afternoon (4.50 pm to 6 pm) with a view to easing traffic movement in the city.
g) Flouting of traffic laws are common phenomena in the streets of the country in general and capital city in particular. There are laws governing fitness of buses and it is found everyday that hundreds of faulty buses and other motorized vehicles are running on the streets flouting traffic laws. Buses are found violating traffic rules frequently by stopping at any point on the street to pick or drop passengers, a number of them bundling up at major intersections, weaving their way through thick traffic and suddenly jump on o any body's head or shoulder.
h) Absence of parking policy is a major reason for traffic congestion in the city as thought by (recently transferred) Communication Secretary, who after recent meeting of Home Adviser (16.10.08) confidently assured the city dwellers through printing and electronic media that within one month, the parking policy would be finalized. The one-month time limit was over on 16 November, 2008. He, of course, did not state as to when the parking policy would be implemented. During his total tenure as Communication Secretary, his total deliberations on traffic and related issues were found hazardous, irrelevant, and at times counter-productive.
i) A few months back, journalist Mr. Tapan Biswas reported that in a meeting presided over by Adviser Mr. Anowarul Iqbal, a decision was taken to revise the traffic laws with a view to easing the ever-increasing traffic tensions on the streets. The meeting also urged the different ministries to put forward suggestions to this effect. It was confirmed that a number of suggestions- mostly non-pragmatic-were submitted to him in this regard. In these situations, Adviser (and former IGP) could not make any headway in bringing reforms in traffic laws, which was a very difficult assignment as well.
j) In an editorial of a prominent Bengali daily, it was lamented that of the available city roads, about half of those are occupied by car parking. Quoting sources from Dhaka City Corporation, it was further stated that in Motijheel and Dilkusha areas, about four thousand motorized vehicles are parked illegally every day as commercial buildings in those areas did not keep any provision or arrangements of car parking. In addition and against this backdrop, the anxious (or nervous) government is implementing the program of placing another five thousand CNG auto-rickshaws on Dhaka roads very soon. In the meanwhile, the same daily published another elaborate news item expressing total frustrations on the whimsical government declared programs of underground rail, monorail, elevated expressway etc. and as days are passing, all these programs are turning into a nightmare of serious magnitude to the city dwellers.
k) Eastern bypass project proposal which was finalized about a decade back, with the initiative of the World Bank, the main objective of which was to protect the people in the 124 square kilometres at the eastern part of Dhaka city from recurrent flooding and in addition, improving the road infrastructure, being the second prominent goal of the project, which was expected to substantially help easing traffic jam in the city with the implementation of the eastern bypass project, as the transport from northern and southern parts of the country will be able to bypass Dhaka through Tongi Demra road is apparently abandoned now. The government is dreaming now to finance it out of its own resources.
l) In a meeting held on 02.08.08 under the chairmanship of DMP commissioner, who said that Traffic Police was conducting their functions since 1976 without any appropriate traffic policy. He added that alleged corruption on the part of a section of the police, lack of professionalism, efficiency and non-cooperation of a section of city citizens hampered efforts at reducing traffic congestions, at the same time putting hindrance to the improvement of commuters' safety.
m) IGP suggested both short and long term measures for addressing traffic congestions of the capital city as these problems are very old and complicated. His suggested measures are a). fixing of office and school timings (starting) with one hour gap, b). reduction of private vehicles and increase of public transport c). increase of transport fares during peak hours d). removal of rickshaws from important roads and driving out hawkers- illegally occupying footpaths and road sides with appropriate arrangements for their rehabilitation. Long-term measures by IGP include a). construction of flyover from one end of the city to the other end b). Construction of underground Railway system and c.coordination of road digging by DESA, DCC, WASA through exchange of information etc.
n) Long ago, about eight years back, a national English daily published a news which stated that some of the deterring factors affecting our traffic system include lack of coordination among the different government bodies, low in priority in relation to other service and development activities, understaffing and budget constraints in the transport/traffic sector as revealed in a workshop on traffic problems of Dhaka city. The scenario has not improved even 20 per cent of the reasonable requirement till date, after the elapse of so many years.
o) Partial traffic complications are caused mostly because of inadequate streets and roadways network. Traffic congestions usually got acute due to over-enthusiastic repair work of roads damaged by incessant rains during rainy season on the one hand and cutting of roads by T&T, WASA or DESA/DESCO enthusiastically and generally just before the end of each financial year, on the other.
Besides, there were many views on various facets of traffic and transport issues expressed formally and otherwise -by different quarters - which included experts and ordinary traffic constable, which have been summarised below:
Infrastructure engineer and earthquake specialist Mr. M. Ali Akbar Mallick states, construction of elevated expressway (30 km in three phases) at Dhaka city in line with Bangkok City will be suicidal. The government planned to construct three expressways in the heart of Dhaka city (First plase - Shaheenbag to New market via Mohakhali, Gulshan to Jatrabari : 11 km; 2nd phase : Jatrabari to Hotel Sonargaon via Syedabad - 7 km; Third phase: Abdullahpur (Uttara) to Hotel Sonagrgoan via new and old Airport 11.8 Km. He thinks that if the expressways are constructed with a view to connecting highways on the outskirts of the capital city, this might bring spectacular positive contribution in easing traffic movement. Mr. Mallick urges the government to consider this proposal.
The VIP road from Shahbag to Jahangir gate has apparently lost its status on account of the persisting traffic congestion on the thoroughfare all day long, where the office of the chief executive of the country is situated. Traffic police says, six roads crossing around four kilometres road, play a vital role behind the gridlock on the busy thoroughfare that always experience heavy rush of traffic. As traffic remains standstill in this road for quite a long time during rush hours (6 to 8 hours almost 7 days a week), adjoining Eskaton, Kawranbazar, Panthapath, Rajabazar and Farmgate areas witness severe traffic jams that eat up huge work hours and fuel as well.
Though there are enough roads inside Karwan Bazar, those are mostly occupied by parked cars, peddlers and their articles and rickshaw vans. If the Karwan Bazar roads are made free, many vehicles taking left turn at Saarc Fountain intersection, said traffic constable Badiur Rahman on duty, whose analysis of the scenario/matter appears to be pragmatic.
As large number of vehicles coming from Mohakhali take right turn at Bijoy Sarani intersection, the construction of an overpass can ease the traffic congestion to a great deal, says Traffic inspector Amal Gomez, recently . His suggestion appears to be worthwhile.
The writer is a former Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh. He can reached at email: karar.hassan@gmail.com
There are some common talks and high thoughts heard from the experts both national and international and bureaucrats-turned consultants and scholars or both, some of them in the meanwhile managed doctoral degree, who love to give prescriptions on traffic issues occasionally to audiences, at seminars, TV talks, workshops, round tables almost every day in and day out, the contents of those which may be summarized as below:
a) The size of Dhaka city roads is less than 7 per cent whereas it should have been at least 25 per cent of the total land area.
b) Fragrant violation of traffic laws almost continuously by the vehicle operators (drivers).
c) There are laws governing fitness of buses but one sees hundreds of faulty buses bumper to bumper, on the streets and almost round the clock.
d) DMP conducts traffic week twice or thrice a year but absence of follow-up actions usually lead the exercise meaningless.
e) Old, unfit buses still running on city streets unabated. A survey conducted by BRTA states that 504 buses, 2,998 minibuses given permission for operation in the Dhaka city, are aged between 15 and 20 years and another 890 buses and minibuses are aged between 10 and 15 years. After lapses of more than two years, since the survey was conducted the number of old and unfit buses with further deteriorated condition might have increased substantially on the city roads, contributing to traffic complications faster and several defective buses go out of order while plying on the streets creating unwarranted jams very often, BRTA officials say,
e) There is obvious lack of regular effective traffic management which is causing traffic congestions lasting hours together in the capital city on different streets including VIP road.
f) The rail crossings at different points in Dhaka city to and from Kamalapur Railway Station were pinpointed to be another major reason of traffic congestion in the capital. According to this diagnosis, a news item was published in a Bengali daily which said that the government has taken decision at a high level meeting held in the LGRD & C ministry to suspend train movement to and from Kamalapur railway station for 2 hours and 40 minutes every day in the morning (8 am to 9.30 am) and in the afternoon (4.50 pm to 6 pm) with a view to easing traffic movement in the city.
g) Flouting of traffic laws are common phenomena in the streets of the country in general and capital city in particular. There are laws governing fitness of buses and it is found everyday that hundreds of faulty buses and other motorized vehicles are running on the streets flouting traffic laws. Buses are found violating traffic rules frequently by stopping at any point on the street to pick or drop passengers, a number of them bundling up at major intersections, weaving their way through thick traffic and suddenly jump on o any body's head or shoulder.
h) Absence of parking policy is a major reason for traffic congestion in the city as thought by (recently transferred) Communication Secretary, who after recent meeting of Home Adviser (16.10.08) confidently assured the city dwellers through printing and electronic media that within one month, the parking policy would be finalized. The one-month time limit was over on 16 November, 2008. He, of course, did not state as to when the parking policy would be implemented. During his total tenure as Communication Secretary, his total deliberations on traffic and related issues were found hazardous, irrelevant, and at times counter-productive.
i) A few months back, journalist Mr. Tapan Biswas reported that in a meeting presided over by Adviser Mr. Anowarul Iqbal, a decision was taken to revise the traffic laws with a view to easing the ever-increasing traffic tensions on the streets. The meeting also urged the different ministries to put forward suggestions to this effect. It was confirmed that a number of suggestions- mostly non-pragmatic-were submitted to him in this regard. In these situations, Adviser (and former IGP) could not make any headway in bringing reforms in traffic laws, which was a very difficult assignment as well.
j) In an editorial of a prominent Bengali daily, it was lamented that of the available city roads, about half of those are occupied by car parking. Quoting sources from Dhaka City Corporation, it was further stated that in Motijheel and Dilkusha areas, about four thousand motorized vehicles are parked illegally every day as commercial buildings in those areas did not keep any provision or arrangements of car parking. In addition and against this backdrop, the anxious (or nervous) government is implementing the program of placing another five thousand CNG auto-rickshaws on Dhaka roads very soon. In the meanwhile, the same daily published another elaborate news item expressing total frustrations on the whimsical government declared programs of underground rail, monorail, elevated expressway etc. and as days are passing, all these programs are turning into a nightmare of serious magnitude to the city dwellers.
k) Eastern bypass project proposal which was finalized about a decade back, with the initiative of the World Bank, the main objective of which was to protect the people in the 124 square kilometres at the eastern part of Dhaka city from recurrent flooding and in addition, improving the road infrastructure, being the second prominent goal of the project, which was expected to substantially help easing traffic jam in the city with the implementation of the eastern bypass project, as the transport from northern and southern parts of the country will be able to bypass Dhaka through Tongi Demra road is apparently abandoned now. The government is dreaming now to finance it out of its own resources.
l) In a meeting held on 02.08.08 under the chairmanship of DMP commissioner, who said that Traffic Police was conducting their functions since 1976 without any appropriate traffic policy. He added that alleged corruption on the part of a section of the police, lack of professionalism, efficiency and non-cooperation of a section of city citizens hampered efforts at reducing traffic congestions, at the same time putting hindrance to the improvement of commuters' safety.
m) IGP suggested both short and long term measures for addressing traffic congestions of the capital city as these problems are very old and complicated. His suggested measures are a). fixing of office and school timings (starting) with one hour gap, b). reduction of private vehicles and increase of public transport c). increase of transport fares during peak hours d). removal of rickshaws from important roads and driving out hawkers- illegally occupying footpaths and road sides with appropriate arrangements for their rehabilitation. Long-term measures by IGP include a). construction of flyover from one end of the city to the other end b). Construction of underground Railway system and c.coordination of road digging by DESA, DCC, WASA through exchange of information etc.
n) Long ago, about eight years back, a national English daily published a news which stated that some of the deterring factors affecting our traffic system include lack of coordination among the different government bodies, low in priority in relation to other service and development activities, understaffing and budget constraints in the transport/traffic sector as revealed in a workshop on traffic problems of Dhaka city. The scenario has not improved even 20 per cent of the reasonable requirement till date, after the elapse of so many years.
o) Partial traffic complications are caused mostly because of inadequate streets and roadways network. Traffic congestions usually got acute due to over-enthusiastic repair work of roads damaged by incessant rains during rainy season on the one hand and cutting of roads by T&T, WASA or DESA/DESCO enthusiastically and generally just before the end of each financial year, on the other.
Besides, there were many views on various facets of traffic and transport issues expressed formally and otherwise -by different quarters - which included experts and ordinary traffic constable, which have been summarised below:
Infrastructure engineer and earthquake specialist Mr. M. Ali Akbar Mallick states, construction of elevated expressway (30 km in three phases) at Dhaka city in line with Bangkok City will be suicidal. The government planned to construct three expressways in the heart of Dhaka city (First plase - Shaheenbag to New market via Mohakhali, Gulshan to Jatrabari : 11 km; 2nd phase : Jatrabari to Hotel Sonargaon via Syedabad - 7 km; Third phase: Abdullahpur (Uttara) to Hotel Sonagrgoan via new and old Airport 11.8 Km. He thinks that if the expressways are constructed with a view to connecting highways on the outskirts of the capital city, this might bring spectacular positive contribution in easing traffic movement. Mr. Mallick urges the government to consider this proposal.
The VIP road from Shahbag to Jahangir gate has apparently lost its status on account of the persisting traffic congestion on the thoroughfare all day long, where the office of the chief executive of the country is situated. Traffic police says, six roads crossing around four kilometres road, play a vital role behind the gridlock on the busy thoroughfare that always experience heavy rush of traffic. As traffic remains standstill in this road for quite a long time during rush hours (6 to 8 hours almost 7 days a week), adjoining Eskaton, Kawranbazar, Panthapath, Rajabazar and Farmgate areas witness severe traffic jams that eat up huge work hours and fuel as well.
Though there are enough roads inside Karwan Bazar, those are mostly occupied by parked cars, peddlers and their articles and rickshaw vans. If the Karwan Bazar roads are made free, many vehicles taking left turn at Saarc Fountain intersection, said traffic constable Badiur Rahman on duty, whose analysis of the scenario/matter appears to be pragmatic.
As large number of vehicles coming from Mohakhali take right turn at Bijoy Sarani intersection, the construction of an overpass can ease the traffic congestion to a great deal, says Traffic inspector Amal Gomez, recently . His suggestion appears to be worthwhile.
The writer is a former Secretary to the Government of Bangladesh. He can reached at email: karar.hassan@gmail.com