Traffic jams: Mobility at stake
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Mohiuddin Babar
THE South Korean President rode on a bicycle to his office on September 22, last. He was not sporting but physically endorsing his participation in a car-free movement organized in Seoul to motivate people in using public transport. Cars remained off the streets in one of the busiest Asian metropolises that day while buses and underground metro trains commuted tens of thousands of people to their destinations.
On the same day, the city of Dhaka was choking with unending trails of motor vehicles fuelling enormous amount of irritations to city dwellers, leave aside the dome of air pollution created due to the vehicular emissions. Again on the same day, a leading Bengali newspaper carried a front page photo-report on thousands of just imported cars awaiting clearance at Chittagong port. The title of the report befittingly read "Where will these cars ply?" Truly, any one would scratch heads foreseeing the state of traffic situation in Dhaka in the days ahead.
The observance of a car-free day in Seoul and in many other cities around the world on that day bears significance in the context of the global scenario related to problems in mobility. Though the car-free-day was first conceived in the early seventies, it was mainly organized in the wake of the oil crisis. Conservation of fuel was the core theme of observing the event.
However, with the passage of time the motive of observing car-free-day went through changes and in the mid-nineties it changed to ventilating growing intolerance with traffic jams. Soon it turned into a mild movement and the campaign entailed hosting car-free days in Britain, France and Iceland. In the year 2000, the movement strengthened further and encompassed several cities in Europe, America and Asia amid organizing such events to keep private cars off the streets and motivate people in using public transport or bicycle or simply walking to work and business. Since then, the campaign gained much momentum which geared up well when the European Commission rolled out a week-long programme titled, "In town without my car", in the late nineties. The programme, intended to motivate people in European Commission (EU) region to walk, use bicycle and mass transit vehicles, quickly rendered a big impetus to the global campaign for car-free day. Soon, the campaigning network succeeded in hosting car free day events in several cities around the world on September 22, coinciding with the EU declaration of the mobility week.
Incidentally, the movement for car-free day gained popular support not only for decrying traffic jams but for improving carbon footprint as well. About 40 per cent of the global carbon dioxide emissions in transport sector are coming from the private cars. According to UN Climate Panel, each person's share of global greenhouse gas emission is 4.5 tonnes per annum. A car plying for an eight kilometer journey on a busy road emits about 1.7 kilogram of CO2.
There is currently a growing trend of automobilistic habit spinning rapidly all around the world. The number of motorized vehicles is around 800 million which is estimated to reach 1.6 billion by 2030. This means by the middle of the century, there will be one vehicle for every five people on earth. While the developed world already enjoys a good car-to-individual ratio, the bulk of the growth in individual car ownership is increasing dramatically in several fast developing economies like China, India, Brazil, Korea, Mexico, few east European countries and of course, the oil rich Middle East. As an impact of rapid urbanization and enrichment of income due to market economy, there has been a stupendous leap in individual mobility. This has propelled individual aspiration and desperation for automobile ownership resulting in an influx of motor vehicles in the streets of thousands of cities around the world though in most cases the infrastructures have not been developed accordingly. As a result, cities, big or small, are clogged with the growing menace of traffic jams.
Traffic congestion has direct consequence on economic and environmental edifices of any society. It results in economic opportunity cost due to delays and losses due to fuel burns. It also negative effects upon environment through unabated release of CO2.
One of the key factors for the irritating traffic jam scenario is the poor urban planning. Concentration of population has been growing thicker in urban sprawls mainly due to economic necessities or compulsions. As we are today in a state of "flow economy", there has been a corresponding growth in the need of mobility. There has been a monumental increase and expansion in the transportation of goods and services along side the substantial increase in the movement of people on missions of business and tourism.
To take the case in point for Bangladesh, the situation arising out of abnormal growth in traffic density is horrendous, particularly in the capital Dhaka. Dhaka has been the centre-point of al governmental administration as well as that of private commercial activities. There are instances of relocation of several commercial enterprises from many parts of the country to the capital Dhaka and its periphery. The nightmarish spectacle of traffic stagnancy in Dhaka can be best attributed to the poor infrastructure, besides the lack of planning with a long term vision. This metropolitan city with a population of 15 million people has perhaps lost its carrying capacity to accommodate the titanic influx of people and vehicles. Dhaka city has 2256 kilometers of motorable roads and streets. This is just little over 7.0 per cent of the total land area of the metropolis which is about 1529 square kilometers. According to transport experts, about 25 per cent of the area should be designated for roads and streets to ensure smooth mobility of transport. About 0.4 million (4.0 lakh) motor vehicles ply on the roads and streets of Dhaka. Along with these, over 0.7 million (7.0 lakh) non-motorized transports like rickshaws, vans and push-carts also add to the traffic volume in this sprawling metropolis.
In the wake of this grim traffic scenario in Dhaka, there is a compelling need for re-inventing the urban traffic system here. It is a pity that mass transit system was never given due attention. Many cities on earth have succeeded in beating the devil's thaw in traffic jam. The city of Curituba in Bolivia has redesigned avenues with seventy per cent of the road width dedicated to bus transports. This has ensured flawless mobility of buses transporting biggest segment of the commuters. Many cities in Europe are replicating Amsterdam model of wide-stretched bike-lane to motivate people use bicycles rather motor cars.
In the city of Dhaka, all types of vehicles - motorized and non-motorized, use the same span of road except some specially ones dedicated as VIP roads. Unfortunately, there is no sign as yet of any tangible solution to the menace of rapidly increasing traffic congestion in this city. In order to keep Dhaka livable, this city must be given a sustainable transportation system to ensure mobility of people and goods in a way that can substantially reduce the impact on environment, economy and above all, social cohesion including heath. Unlike in many heavily built-up cities like Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Seoul, Bangkok etc., Dhaka still has room for revamping its transportation network in order to allow the pace of development and sustainability in force.
When the invention of motor car by Karl Benz in 1885 truly sparked a revolution in mobility, he could hardly think that hundred years later his invention would be cursed for creating human irritations and damaging ecological balance. In fact, he can not be blamed, rather we should be designing a conducive mobility management system in concurrence with the deemed pace of our socio-economic development and in full cognizance of our obligations to safeguard the natural environment. Only then we can be assured of a sustainable mobility.
The writer is a broadcaster and free-lancer. He can be
reached at email:
babar.mohiuddin@gmail.com
THE South Korean President rode on a bicycle to his office on September 22, last. He was not sporting but physically endorsing his participation in a car-free movement organized in Seoul to motivate people in using public transport. Cars remained off the streets in one of the busiest Asian metropolises that day while buses and underground metro trains commuted tens of thousands of people to their destinations.
On the same day, the city of Dhaka was choking with unending trails of motor vehicles fuelling enormous amount of irritations to city dwellers, leave aside the dome of air pollution created due to the vehicular emissions. Again on the same day, a leading Bengali newspaper carried a front page photo-report on thousands of just imported cars awaiting clearance at Chittagong port. The title of the report befittingly read "Where will these cars ply?" Truly, any one would scratch heads foreseeing the state of traffic situation in Dhaka in the days ahead.
The observance of a car-free day in Seoul and in many other cities around the world on that day bears significance in the context of the global scenario related to problems in mobility. Though the car-free-day was first conceived in the early seventies, it was mainly organized in the wake of the oil crisis. Conservation of fuel was the core theme of observing the event.
However, with the passage of time the motive of observing car-free-day went through changes and in the mid-nineties it changed to ventilating growing intolerance with traffic jams. Soon it turned into a mild movement and the campaign entailed hosting car-free days in Britain, France and Iceland. In the year 2000, the movement strengthened further and encompassed several cities in Europe, America and Asia amid organizing such events to keep private cars off the streets and motivate people in using public transport or bicycle or simply walking to work and business. Since then, the campaign gained much momentum which geared up well when the European Commission rolled out a week-long programme titled, "In town without my car", in the late nineties. The programme, intended to motivate people in European Commission (EU) region to walk, use bicycle and mass transit vehicles, quickly rendered a big impetus to the global campaign for car-free day. Soon, the campaigning network succeeded in hosting car free day events in several cities around the world on September 22, coinciding with the EU declaration of the mobility week.
Incidentally, the movement for car-free day gained popular support not only for decrying traffic jams but for improving carbon footprint as well. About 40 per cent of the global carbon dioxide emissions in transport sector are coming from the private cars. According to UN Climate Panel, each person's share of global greenhouse gas emission is 4.5 tonnes per annum. A car plying for an eight kilometer journey on a busy road emits about 1.7 kilogram of CO2.
There is currently a growing trend of automobilistic habit spinning rapidly all around the world. The number of motorized vehicles is around 800 million which is estimated to reach 1.6 billion by 2030. This means by the middle of the century, there will be one vehicle for every five people on earth. While the developed world already enjoys a good car-to-individual ratio, the bulk of the growth in individual car ownership is increasing dramatically in several fast developing economies like China, India, Brazil, Korea, Mexico, few east European countries and of course, the oil rich Middle East. As an impact of rapid urbanization and enrichment of income due to market economy, there has been a stupendous leap in individual mobility. This has propelled individual aspiration and desperation for automobile ownership resulting in an influx of motor vehicles in the streets of thousands of cities around the world though in most cases the infrastructures have not been developed accordingly. As a result, cities, big or small, are clogged with the growing menace of traffic jams.
Traffic congestion has direct consequence on economic and environmental edifices of any society. It results in economic opportunity cost due to delays and losses due to fuel burns. It also negative effects upon environment through unabated release of CO2.
One of the key factors for the irritating traffic jam scenario is the poor urban planning. Concentration of population has been growing thicker in urban sprawls mainly due to economic necessities or compulsions. As we are today in a state of "flow economy", there has been a corresponding growth in the need of mobility. There has been a monumental increase and expansion in the transportation of goods and services along side the substantial increase in the movement of people on missions of business and tourism.
To take the case in point for Bangladesh, the situation arising out of abnormal growth in traffic density is horrendous, particularly in the capital Dhaka. Dhaka has been the centre-point of al governmental administration as well as that of private commercial activities. There are instances of relocation of several commercial enterprises from many parts of the country to the capital Dhaka and its periphery. The nightmarish spectacle of traffic stagnancy in Dhaka can be best attributed to the poor infrastructure, besides the lack of planning with a long term vision. This metropolitan city with a population of 15 million people has perhaps lost its carrying capacity to accommodate the titanic influx of people and vehicles. Dhaka city has 2256 kilometers of motorable roads and streets. This is just little over 7.0 per cent of the total land area of the metropolis which is about 1529 square kilometers. According to transport experts, about 25 per cent of the area should be designated for roads and streets to ensure smooth mobility of transport. About 0.4 million (4.0 lakh) motor vehicles ply on the roads and streets of Dhaka. Along with these, over 0.7 million (7.0 lakh) non-motorized transports like rickshaws, vans and push-carts also add to the traffic volume in this sprawling metropolis.
In the wake of this grim traffic scenario in Dhaka, there is a compelling need for re-inventing the urban traffic system here. It is a pity that mass transit system was never given due attention. Many cities on earth have succeeded in beating the devil's thaw in traffic jam. The city of Curituba in Bolivia has redesigned avenues with seventy per cent of the road width dedicated to bus transports. This has ensured flawless mobility of buses transporting biggest segment of the commuters. Many cities in Europe are replicating Amsterdam model of wide-stretched bike-lane to motivate people use bicycles rather motor cars.
In the city of Dhaka, all types of vehicles - motorized and non-motorized, use the same span of road except some specially ones dedicated as VIP roads. Unfortunately, there is no sign as yet of any tangible solution to the menace of rapidly increasing traffic congestion in this city. In order to keep Dhaka livable, this city must be given a sustainable transportation system to ensure mobility of people and goods in a way that can substantially reduce the impact on environment, economy and above all, social cohesion including heath. Unlike in many heavily built-up cities like Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, Seoul, Bangkok etc., Dhaka still has room for revamping its transportation network in order to allow the pace of development and sustainability in force.
When the invention of motor car by Karl Benz in 1885 truly sparked a revolution in mobility, he could hardly think that hundred years later his invention would be cursed for creating human irritations and damaging ecological balance. In fact, he can not be blamed, rather we should be designing a conducive mobility management system in concurrence with the deemed pace of our socio-economic development and in full cognizance of our obligations to safeguard the natural environment. Only then we can be assured of a sustainable mobility.
The writer is a broadcaster and free-lancer. He can be
reached at email:
babar.mohiuddin@gmail.com