Construction of new roads no good solution to traffic jam: Expert
Friday, 31 July 2009
FE Report
British transport policy expert Stephen Ison said construction of new road and making provision for public transport system are not good solutions to traffic congestion of a mega city, and accentuated more on traffic management to get a better result from the growing problem.
He said mega city like Dhaka will get better result through traffic management, physical restriction on car use, parking control, priority to use of bus and provision for cyclists and pedestrians.
Mr Stepen said road building is a supply side measure taken on the basis of time saving, but added that over the last decade, there had been a change in emphasis because of the notion that supply generated its own demand.
"Despite some positive impacts, new roads impact negatively in terms of sustainability," he said.
Stephen, professor of transport policy of Transport Studies Group of UK Loughborough University was sharing his views at a seminar on 'transport of Dhaka' on Thursday.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, Civil Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and the British Council jointly organised the seminar.
The professor presented a paper on `Are transport policies from the developed world effective to mitigate transport problems in developing mega cities,' and suggested policy makers in cities, regional governments and nations to share knowledge.
"Every country's traffic problems are in some way unique," he said adding that simply copying a programme is unlikely to succeed.
The visiting professor said policy transfer helps utilise knowledge relating to policy, administrative arrangements and institutions of one country and develop them in another country.
He said policy transfer requires the right combination of individuals, ideas, incentives, interests and the time.
Quoting a report of Transport Unit Sustainable Development Department, the professor said that Bangladesh transport demand passenger mode shares and freight mode shares increased in the case of bus between 1975 and 2005 but decreased significantly in the case of rail and water transports.
The passenger share increased to 88 per cent in the case of road in 2005, which was 54 per cent in 1975 while rail and inland water transport decreased to four and eight per cent in 2005 from 30 per cent and 16 per cent in 1975 respectively.
He said transferability of policy focus should be on urban poor, access to employment opportunities, walking of pedestrians and non-motorised vehicles and highlighted on cycling provision, improving pedestrians facilities, public awareness campaigns education relating to road safety, rules and regulation
DTCB Additional Executive Director Dr SM Salehuddin presided over the seminar where Md Anisul Rahman of DTCB, Mohammad a Quddus of Department of Civil and Building Engineering of Loughborough University, Dr Zubair and Dr Charisma Chowdhury of BUET presented separate papers.
British transport policy expert Stephen Ison said construction of new road and making provision for public transport system are not good solutions to traffic congestion of a mega city, and accentuated more on traffic management to get a better result from the growing problem.
He said mega city like Dhaka will get better result through traffic management, physical restriction on car use, parking control, priority to use of bus and provision for cyclists and pedestrians.
Mr Stepen said road building is a supply side measure taken on the basis of time saving, but added that over the last decade, there had been a change in emphasis because of the notion that supply generated its own demand.
"Despite some positive impacts, new roads impact negatively in terms of sustainability," he said.
Stephen, professor of transport policy of Transport Studies Group of UK Loughborough University was sharing his views at a seminar on 'transport of Dhaka' on Thursday.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, Civil Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology and the British Council jointly organised the seminar.
The professor presented a paper on `Are transport policies from the developed world effective to mitigate transport problems in developing mega cities,' and suggested policy makers in cities, regional governments and nations to share knowledge.
"Every country's traffic problems are in some way unique," he said adding that simply copying a programme is unlikely to succeed.
The visiting professor said policy transfer helps utilise knowledge relating to policy, administrative arrangements and institutions of one country and develop them in another country.
He said policy transfer requires the right combination of individuals, ideas, incentives, interests and the time.
Quoting a report of Transport Unit Sustainable Development Department, the professor said that Bangladesh transport demand passenger mode shares and freight mode shares increased in the case of bus between 1975 and 2005 but decreased significantly in the case of rail and water transports.
The passenger share increased to 88 per cent in the case of road in 2005, which was 54 per cent in 1975 while rail and inland water transport decreased to four and eight per cent in 2005 from 30 per cent and 16 per cent in 1975 respectively.
He said transferability of policy focus should be on urban poor, access to employment opportunities, walking of pedestrians and non-motorised vehicles and highlighted on cycling provision, improving pedestrians facilities, public awareness campaigns education relating to road safety, rules and regulation
DTCB Additional Executive Director Dr SM Salehuddin presided over the seminar where Md Anisul Rahman of DTCB, Mohammad a Quddus of Department of Civil and Building Engineering of Loughborough University, Dr Zubair and Dr Charisma Chowdhury of BUET presented separate papers.