The metro rail project
Friday, 10 October 2008
Shafiqul Alam
FROM early in the morning to night the roads of Dhaka city remain congested. The situation worsened over the years and it has now become unbearable. It is time to say that Dhaka is a stagnant city. Imagine a 15 million population for a 614 square kilometer city. The question that comes to one's mind was there any plan for Dhaka?
The government has been spending a lot of money behind so many city and national organisations but they could not solve city's severe congestion. Unfit vehicles, licensing problems and faulty signaling system are contributing to Dhaka's traffic congestion, besides other factors. The authorities do not know how many vehicles should ply on the city roads. Mohakhali, Gabtoli and two other big stands inside the city are creating huge congestion. The pedestrians avoid foot over bridges though the traffic personnel encourage people to use them. They are a waste of money. School timing was changed to reduce congestion. But during the school and college vacations as it is now, why is the traffic congestion so severe? Actually a pragmatic and practical solution is needed.
Among the main factors responsible for the congestion are inadequacy of roads (only 7.0 per cent instead of 25-30 per cent over population) and slow and fast vehicles using the same lanes. Mass transit should be introduced, for a solution, whenever the population of a city exceeds one million. Subway or metro can provide a solution.
There is no coordinated action among so many authorities. The communication ministry is always interested for feasibility studies. If people need more than one hour to cross from one end to the other of Pantha Path, what sort of feasibility was conducted?
In many cities of the world the subway is subsidised. But subsidy varies from city to city.
About 30,000 new private cars came to the roads in the city over the last eight months and 5000 more are awaiting clearance. But where is the road for them to move?
The solution to Dhaka's chronic traffic congestion problem lies in the underground metro rail. Eventually that would remove the congestion, reduce the expenditure on fuel and make the environment pollution-free.
The metro rail project should be started as soon as possible; otherwise, it would be difficult to implement the project as the population of Dhaka is continuously increasing.
(The writer, an engineer, can be reached at e-mail: shafiqul0032@yahoo.com)
FROM early in the morning to night the roads of Dhaka city remain congested. The situation worsened over the years and it has now become unbearable. It is time to say that Dhaka is a stagnant city. Imagine a 15 million population for a 614 square kilometer city. The question that comes to one's mind was there any plan for Dhaka?
The government has been spending a lot of money behind so many city and national organisations but they could not solve city's severe congestion. Unfit vehicles, licensing problems and faulty signaling system are contributing to Dhaka's traffic congestion, besides other factors. The authorities do not know how many vehicles should ply on the city roads. Mohakhali, Gabtoli and two other big stands inside the city are creating huge congestion. The pedestrians avoid foot over bridges though the traffic personnel encourage people to use them. They are a waste of money. School timing was changed to reduce congestion. But during the school and college vacations as it is now, why is the traffic congestion so severe? Actually a pragmatic and practical solution is needed.
Among the main factors responsible for the congestion are inadequacy of roads (only 7.0 per cent instead of 25-30 per cent over population) and slow and fast vehicles using the same lanes. Mass transit should be introduced, for a solution, whenever the population of a city exceeds one million. Subway or metro can provide a solution.
There is no coordinated action among so many authorities. The communication ministry is always interested for feasibility studies. If people need more than one hour to cross from one end to the other of Pantha Path, what sort of feasibility was conducted?
In many cities of the world the subway is subsidised. But subsidy varies from city to city.
About 30,000 new private cars came to the roads in the city over the last eight months and 5000 more are awaiting clearance. But where is the road for them to move?
The solution to Dhaka's chronic traffic congestion problem lies in the underground metro rail. Eventually that would remove the congestion, reduce the expenditure on fuel and make the environment pollution-free.
The metro rail project should be started as soon as possible; otherwise, it would be difficult to implement the project as the population of Dhaka is continuously increasing.
(The writer, an engineer, can be reached at e-mail: shafiqul0032@yahoo.com)