Mustafizur Rahman, Ph.D
The activities and plans of RAJUK, PDB, DESA, Titas Gas, WASA, Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), BRTA, Railway, Ministry of works and LGRD were in need of coordination to build a city that would be home to more than 15 to 18 million people. However, the existence of an effective coordinating body for comprehensive, orderly and efficient planning and implementation was conspicuous by its absence. New institutions like Public Utilities Board for Dhaka, and Urban Redevelopment (or Infrastructure Development) Authority under a new Ministry of National Development headed directly by the chief executive of the government, and represented by a senior minister or a minister of state could help avoid creating a mess of the city infrastructures. In many cases these proved to be roadblock for future development.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB), created at the insistence of the World Bank to facilitate its dealing with a single organisation through its own consultants, as they usually prefer as a policy or conditionality, could not serve the purpose. That was apparently due to the feud between DCC and the Ministry of communication over the control of DTCB..
World Bank financed DTCB to conduct a study and prepare a Strategic Transport Plan (STP) for Dhaka by WB consultants, who virtually compiled numerous such studies carried out by past Government. A plan was proposed that included the impractical Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along the Pragati Sharani and a few other existing bus routes.
DTCB formed a steering committee, later renamed as Advisory Committee, chaired by Dr. Jamilur Reza Choudhury. The Committee had more than twenty multi-disciplinary local experts working voluntarily to rescue Dhaka from rapid slumification. The advisory committee could not accept the consultant's plan except for the suggestion of a few east-west roads and immediate acquisition of the right-of-way for as many new roads as possible before it becomes impossible to find any land for such roads. The Committee put forward its own recommendations for inclusion in the STP. The government finally formed a secretarial committee to see to the STP without seeking any technical guidance from the Advisory Committee that worked on it for more than a year or two. Meanwhile, many unsolicited and arbitrary projects are being rushed by vested interest group, which will stand as roadblocks to future development in the absence of a complete plan for making Dhaka a beautiful, futuristic, slum-free, livable capital city suited to our climate. The STP includes about 74 projects of roads, link roads, elevated expressway, tunnels, BRT lines, metro lines, subways, etc. We the members of the advisory committee totally discarded the idea of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), because there is no 5- or 6-by two roads in Dhaka. The consultants still kept it as an option citing some inappropriate examples in thinly populated cities like Bogota.
The consultant's suggestion of relocation of Kamalapur station to Tongi was totally unacceptable.
We hear of Jatrabari-Gulistan flyover, tunnel connecting old airport road to Agargaon and some subways. The government is seemingly encouraging Thai and Malaysian investment in flyovers and highways, forgetful of their short experience, not exceeding 20 to 30 years. The Panthapath-Rampura flyover seems to be discarded in favour of roads and walkway around Hatirjheel. Should this flyover plan be discarded? All these must be relevant to the final plan for Dhaka with all sustainable amenities, taking into consideration our climate, topographical condition, culture, public safety, healthy environment, sanitation facilities, utility supplies, ideal housings, drainage system, waste treatment facilities, perfect public transport network, and arrangement for preservation of wetland an water bodies, and mitigation of adverse impactss of flood or rain and other natural disasters.
A good city plan must provide for open space including parks, play grounds, cycling courses, public recreation space and the like, even at the cost of some space for vehicular roads. Big cities need a combination of surface road, overhead road, railway or subway or elevated railway, public bus transport and, in specific cases, waterway transport. In view of the present traffic congestion and increase in population in the city, massive mass transit and additional non-interfering infrastructure must be built in right sequence. Now we must find out what we should and can do immediately, possibly with our own resources and with our own earned expertise.
Development of Tongi-Kamalapur-Saidabad section: Ideally this section shall be a 4-line elevated railway for commuter and long-distance trains. The Mohakhali flyover is a big obstacle to planned Tongi-Kamalapur-Saidabad overhead commuter train line because of the shorter height of the flyover that will not allow passage of the overhead train below it. We have to solve the problem wisely. Some ideas on building eight or so number of flyovers over the Tongi- Kamalapur section of the railway line have been floated. This is a sick idea, for it will repeat the problem of Mohakhali, when we would build the four-line overhead commuter-cum-long-distance railway. The DCC foot-over bridge at Bangla Motor crossing and at some other places might ultimately be demolished, if height is not taken into consideration and footpath is blocked as a result.
It is not possible even in the economic sense for the government to build overhead lines and stations immediately. The existing double lines between Tongi and Kamalapur or Saidabad may be used for commuter service by adding two more lines and building necessary additional stations at distances from about 0.75 to 1.5 km. Work may also start simultaneously to develop the double-lines into a four-line railway. For comfortable commuter service, passenger coaches with wide doors must be selected. Until electric lines are built, gas/diesel-operated rail car type coaches may also be introduced. Over about 22 railway crossings in this section will not much aggravate road traffic, if commuter trains run every three to ten minutes. All trains in the city are not necessarily passing over all rail crossings at a time. Waiting time can be optimally reduced by good signaling. No crossing may block the traffic for more than 50 to 60 seconds at a time, less than the time for pedestrians to pass pedestrian crossing every time. After setting the commuter service in place, long-distance inter-city buses shall stop at Tongi and Saidabad and designated city buses shall serve the city. Traffic congestion shall be greatly eased. The proposed Tongi-New Market lines shall be connected to Tejgaon and a light train line shall connect New Market and Tejgaon. (Fig. 1)
Making Kamalapur-Narayanganj and Tongi-Gazipur railroad double-lined (and ultimately four-lined) with stations at intervals of 0.75 to 1.5 km:
The Laksam-Dhaka line that is planned for shortening distance between Chittagong and Dhaka by about 80 km may make Dhaka-Narayanganj route more important and as such it should be developed further.
Train stations: The train stations may not initially be costly structures. Most of the Railway stations must be easy to access, have entrance level platforms, have sufficient parking space, and have provisions for bus stops to pick up and unload passengers. There should also places for taxis to wait in line to pick up passengers and other facilities.
New elevated light train passing through population centers: In addition to a light train line planned (as per RAJUK map) from Kaliganj to Gazipur via north of Uttara, Savar and other places, a light train or elevated light train service may start from Tongi to touch Pallabi, Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Dhanmodi, New market, Azimpur and proceed further to Saidabad, Jatrabari and Demra, Azimpur, Sadarghat and to finally touch Dhaka-Narayanganj line at Saidabad and Kamalapur.
Development of Tejgaon Railway Station as a transport hub with long-term vision: This is an excellent and convenient location for linking existing railway, future light train and bus transport or other transport network. Even if it is not possible to develop it fully at the moment, no short-sighted hasty plan should be allowed to destroy its potential for the longer term. No land should be allowed to be grabbed. Any unplanned development in and around it must be stopped immediately until long-term comprehensive plan is ready and approved by all concerned.
Circular railway, elevated light train
As in most of the big cities with land constraint, a circular railway touching all population centers of the city, from where long distance railway and roads move out tangentially or radially to link satellite cities may be built in Dhaka and Chittagong.. Many new roads or railway lines may have to be elevated to save wetland, canals and rivers.
Elevated roads may be considered for next phase. No wetland should be filled without comprehensive study. If necessary, elevated roads or train lines may be constructed to connect places that take 90 minutes to 2 hours' journey to reach from the city center. This will help elimination of slums by allowing the slum dwellers to live in their own rural areas and lead a healthy social life for all the citizens. People can commute from such a distance and will finally get used to it as in developed countries with land constraint.
Manufacture of railway coach locally: Manufacture of coaches at the railway workshops with experience may be given a serious consideration. Various types of rail line equipment may also be made locally.
Railway test track: To maintain or improve the quality of the railway service, railway authority shall build and use a 7- to 15- km test track.
Development of waterway: As suggested by many, in addition to other modes of transport, we may fully develop and utilise our river and waterway transport system by utilising part of the existing infrastructure. The government is also considering such prospect.
Subway: Subway may not be our immediate choice in view of the risk of inundation of major areas of the city every year and lack of our technological capability to counter the effect immediately. In the future, it may be necessary. About 15-feet wide footpath may be necessary for future subway exit and entrance. In future subway may also be essential.
Management of traffic and establishment of continuous, safe footpath will ease much of the existing traffic congestion within the city immediately, but it will not solve the problem without mass transit and public transport system.
Railway has been neglected since 1980s. Railway development was long overdue. If this government shows political will and courage to take initiative, we can start massive work without much or any foreign loan. Incidentally, many countries prohibit foreign investment in railway, transport and infrastructure. If our government's patriotism and technical courage are not too feeble, we should not succumb to the external allurement or intimidation lobby. Huge international investment is making frenzied effort to find scope for entry in infrastructure and natural resources all over the world, particularly where the governments are weaker.. We expect, our government would not compromise with long-term national interest, and make the people pay in foreign exchange for domestic travel as our economy is bleeding with mobile company payment. Let us start acting wisely deploying relevant development policy instruments before it is too late.
The author chairs The Institute of Development Strategy(IDS), Dhaka. The views expressed in the article are the author's own, and not
necessarily of the organisation
he represents.
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