INTRODUCTION

1. Dhaka is the administrative, commercial and cultural capital of Bangladesh. Founded as a

provincial city in 1608, Dhaka emerged as the capital of Bangladesh in 1971. The annual growth

rate of Dhaka is one of the fastest (4.2% annually) world-wide. The population has grown from

around half a million in 1965 to 15 millions in 2010. It is anticipated that, in 2025, Dhaka will be

the world’s fifth most populous city, with an estimated population of 20.9 million. The city has a

major role in the socioeconomic development of the country. But the existing transportation

system is a major bottleneck for development. Unplanned urbanization, especially poor

transportation planning and lower land utilization efficiency, has turned the city into an

inefficient transport provider..

2. Historically, Dhaka has grown in an unplanned and haphazard manner leaving inadequate

space for transport infrastructure. Approximately 80% (12 million) of the population is

concentrated in only 360 square kilometers of area out of around 1,500 square kilometers of total

area. On the other hand, the rapid growth in urbanization has created a high growth in demand

for transport facilities. However, the inability to cater for this high transport demand, mainly

because of the unavailability of land, has eventually overwhelmed the transport capacity of the

city. The city streets remain congested for 10 to 12 hours during any given weekday. It is

estimated that Dhaka’s contribution to national GDP is 15%. But traffic congestion is seriously

affecting productivity. Therefore, reducing traffic congestion is a central element of economic

growth.

3. The urban transport issues of mobility, congestion, safety and environmental aspects are

becoming increasingly important and critical in Dhaka. The rapid urbanization process, high

vehicular population growth, inadequate transportation facilities and policies, varied traffic mix

with high concentration of non-motorized vehicles, the absence of a dependable public transport

system, inadequate traffic management practices and parking facilities have created a significant

worsening of traffic and environmental problems in the city. The residents are compelled to

undergo physical stress and suffer financial losses in terms of man-hours lost on working days.

4. The aim of this paper is to suggest suitable approach to solve the congestion problems in

Dhaka City. This paper begins by highlighting the traffic environment of Dhaka city. Then the

some conventional ongoing approaches related to the increase of supply will be discussed.

Finally, feasibility of application of various transport demand management strategies in Dhaka

and their prospects of reducing the severe traffic congestion will be discussed.

TRAFFIC ENVIRONMENT IN DHAKA

5. Transportation Infrastructures.

a. Roadway. Dhaka’s road network is nearly 3,000 km in length. Only 7% of total land space is devoted to the roadway and transport facilities. Out of the total length or roads, 200 km is primary, 110 km are secondary, 50 km are feeder and 2640 km are narrow roads. Most of these narrow roads are very narrow throw which no emergency services vehicles can move. No arterial streets of ring roads are available in Dhaka. Approximately 400 km of footpath are available for pedestrians of which 40% are being occupied illegally by vendors and others.

b. Railway. Although a 37-km long inter-city rail line passes through the heart

of the city, they are not utilized for the transport of city travellers or commuter

movement. There are 17 at-grade rail-road crossings which cause hours of delay to

roadway traffic.

c. Water Way. Although Dhaka is surrounded by rivers in all the directions, there is

no waterway based transportation facilities. Effort has been made to establish a circular

waterway around Dhaka city. But due to the lack of interconnectivity with other modes,

this initiative was not successful.

6. Modes of Transportation. The transportation system of Dhaka is predominantly road

based and non-motorized transportation (mainly rickshaws) has a substantial mode share. Dhaka

is perhaps the only city of its size without a well-organized and properly scheduled bus system or

any type of mass rapid transit system. According to BRTA, there are 41% of motor cycles in the

vehicle mix, followed by passenger cars (27%), Jeep/micro-bus (11%), bus (4%), taxi (3%), and

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three-wheelers (3%). In addition to these motorized vehicles there are over 500,000 rickshaws

plying their trade in the streets of Dhaka.

FIGURE 1: Motorized vehicle composition in Dhaka, 2009 (Source: BRTA).

7. Motorization Rate. There are 527,285 registered motorized vehicles in Dhaka of which

147,283 are passenger vehicles. The level of motorization in Dhaka is very low: 35 motorized

vehicles or 10 passenger cars per 1000 population. The number of motorized vehicles grew from

303,215 in 2003 to 527,285 in 2009 at an annual rate of 9.8%. The number of passenger car

registrations each year is also increasing at a high pace from 4,734 in 2004 to 17,654 in 2009.

This clearly gives an indication that the automobile dependency of city dwellers has been

increasing over the year on year.

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Car, 27%

Jeep/Micro Bus, 11%

Taxi, 3%Minibus, 2%

Bus, 1%Truck, 6%3-wheeler, 3%

Motor Cycle, 41%

Other, 5%

Figure 2 Total number of motorized vehicles in Dhaka, 2003-2009 (source: BRTA)

Figure 3 No of year-wise registration of passenger cars in Dhaka, 2004-2009 (source: BRTA).

8. Environmental State. Dhaka has become one of the most polluted cities in the

world. Complaints about headache, eye and skin irritation as well as breathing problems are very

common among the roadway users in the city. On the roads of Dhaka city the concentration of

various infectious gases/suspended particles exceeds the acceptable limit set by WHO which is

described below:

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Total Number of Registered Motorized Vehicles in Dhaka (2003-2009)

0

100000

200000

300000

400000

500000

600000

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Year

Nu

mb

er

of

Veh

icle

s

Annual Growth Rate = 9.7%

Number of Yearwise Registration of Passenger Cars in Dhaka (2004-2009)

47345633

7403

10244

13749

17654

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

20000

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Year

Nu

mb

er

of

Pa

asen

ger

Cars

Annual growth rate = 30%

a. Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) : 500 µgm/m3

b. Oxides of Sulphur (SOx), : 1200 µgm/m3

c. Carbon Mono-oxide (CO) : 7500 µgm/m3

d. Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) : 2500 µgm/m3

9. Wastage of time due to Delay. On the weekdays, the traffic situation is at crisis

point in a good number of locations in Dhaka. Waiting at intersections for 10-15 minutes, and a

mile long queue of stalled vehicles on major roadways are very common. A 5-km trip will

usually take 45 minutes during peak hours. A recent study found that all major intersections in

the city operate at well over their capacities between 8:00 in the morning and 9:00 in the

evening.

CAUSES OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN DHAKA AND ITS IMPACT

10. Causes to Congestion. Some of the main reasons of Traffic congestion are mentioned below:

a. Inadequate Road Length. Dhaka does not have enough road length to carry its entire

traffic load. Only 7% space of the city is utilized for road networks. Out of which most

are so narrow that emergency service vehicles can’t ply. The city suffers from an acute

shortage of quality roads.

b. Unplanned City Growth. Dhaka City is expanding without any comprehensive

planning. Most of the development activities are conducted by private sectors. RAJUK,

the guardian of the city, is neither providing any plan, nor monitoring these activities.

c. Over Population and High Migration from Rural to Urban Area. Failure in

decentralization and non-empowerment of local government has turned Dhaka into a hub

of all development activities. For various reasons, people has to visit Dhaka. Besides, the

jobless and homeless people also migrate to Dhaka in search of job relentlessly.

d. Inadequate Traffic Management It is the similar reason stated by the people. It needs

more control management of traffic. Due to lack of proper control management, traffic

jam is increasing day by day.

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e. Lack of Integration . Too many traffic regulatory authority and lack of

integration among traffic regulatory authorities of Dhaka City are one of the major

reasons of Traffic jam. These are Dhaka City Corporation (DCC), Rajdhani Unnayan

Kortripakkha (RAJUK), Roads and High Ways Department (RHD), Bangladesh Road

Transportation Authority (BRTA), Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC),

Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP),

etc. Its’ very confusing to find out, who is in charge or whom to blame.

g. Absence of Mass Traffic System. For an overpopulated country like ours, it was

essential to establish a mass traffic system to distribute the traffic proportionately. The

city dwellers has to suffer in their day to day life for this issue.

h. One Sided Development (North- South Development) Most of the expansion and

development of Dhaka has taken place along North-South direction without adequate East-

West link. The city doesn’t have any arterial streets or circular roads. This is also responsible

for causing some jam inside the Dhaka City.

i. Footpath Occupied by Hawkers. The city suffers from acute shortage of pedestrians

facilities. Most of the footpath being occupied by hawkers compels the pedestrians to walk

by the road, which is blocking the space for vehicles and causing traffic jams.

j. No Parking Policy. There is no specific parking policy in Dhaka. As such, one can

park any where he feels. Lack of enforcement by the police and tendency of constructing

road side shops/malls without parking facilities is causing parked vehicles to occupy almost

30-40% of the road space in some instance.

k. Problem of Planner Choice. The foreign consultants and planners cannot consider the

sentiment and behavior of Bangladeshi people. So, when they prepare a plan, it becomes just

a not implementable theoretical plan. Because of this international planners choice we are

also suffering with high ambitious plans.

l. Poor Signaling. Poor Signaling is also responsible for traffic jam. At maximum

points signal does not work efficiently. In that places traffic polices have to work manually.

m. Short Term Plan. Sometimes short term planning is made to solve any current

situation without looking forward which cause problems afterward. So, situation basis

solution for short term is also responsible for traffic jams in Dhaka City.

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11. Impact of Traffic Jam on Dhaka City. The impact of traffic jam on Dhaka City can

be viewed in three ways. The ways are –

a. Impact on Economy. Traffic jam has great economic impact on Dhaka

City. Due to traffic jam we are losing money in four ways –

a. Loosing man-hours,

b. Extra transportation cost,

c. Extra fuel consumptions,

d. Vehicle operating cost, and

e. Miscellaneous cost like accident deaths and injuries.

b. Impact on Health. 73% of people in Dhaka City are suffering some kind of

physical or mental discomfort due to traffic jam. People are suffering in many ways due

to staying in traffic jam. Few main ways of sufferings that we have got from our survey

are –

1) Breathing problem,

2) Headache,

3) Mental stress,

4) Hearing problem,

5) Unexpected sweating,

6) Tiredness, and

7) Eye problem.

c. Impact on Environment. Traffic jam causes environment pollution in two

main ways. It causes –

a. Sound pollution due to excessive noise, and

b. Air pollution by excessive and uncontrolled emission.

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SUGGESTED MEASURES FOR SOLVING CONGESTION PROBLEM

12. Increasing Supply. Although very slowly, the government has already undertaken some

projects in accordance with the major recommendations of STP-2005. Proper implementation of

these measures, although very expensive, will be able to solve the traffic congestion related

problems in Dhaka for next 20-25 years. Some of the major infrastructural and policy actions

pertaining mostly to the supply expansion approach are mentioned below:

a. Bus Industry Consolidation and franchising bus routes.

b. The establishment of a comprehensive data base which will include information

on all vehicles (including Buses and Rickshaws) and all drivers of any type of vehicle.

c. A major commitment to improve all types of pedestrian facilities is required and

formulation of “Pedestrian First” policy.

d. A planned decrease or control in rickshaw operations accompanied by an

associated increase in the alternate form of public transport,

e. Modernization of licensing system for rickshaws and the rickshaw pullers.

f. Establishing a Unitary Authority responsible for the strategic planning of both

land use and transportation in Dhaka.

g. Construction of a good number of East-West bound link roads, Expressways,

junction modernization, widening of existing roads and construction of more roads, etc.

h. Modernization of existing traffic management system, mass transport system

including establishing BRT and MRT system by phases.

13. Comment. The action plans mentioned above are mostly capital intensive and

requires long time for materialization. Besides, the rapid economical growth of Bangladesh (>

6%) and the existing rate of motorization indicate that the number of vehicles in Dhaka will be

increased far more than the expected rate. It will be simply impossible for the government to

solve the problems in future by adopting capacity/supply expansion measures alone. The most

balanced and sustainable option for the government will be to materialize the proposed

development works as soon as possible. Side by side various traffic demand management

systems should be adopted to bring the travel demand under control and make the most efficient

and economic use of limited land available in this City.

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TDM STRATEGIES: THE MOST SUSTAINABLE APPROACH

14. Transport Demand Management (TDM) programmes focus on changing or reducing

travel demand, particularly at peak commute hours, instead of increasing roadway supply. It

makes more efficient use of the current roadway system. There are many different TDM

strategies with a variety of impacts. Some improve the transportation options available to

consumers. Some provide incentives to change trip scheduling, route, mode or destination.

Others reduce the need for physical travel through more efficient land use, or transportation

substitutes.

15. Although most individual TDM strategies only affect a small portion of total travel, the

cumulative impacts of a comprehensive TDM programme can be significant. The sections below

provide brief summaries of various types of TDM measures that are effective in reducing

roadway traffic congestion.

Table:1: Example of Some TDM Measures

Policy Instruments Measures

Market Based

Pricing Measures Road pricing Parking charges Fuel tax Road tax, registration and fitness fees

Distance Based Fees Vehicle charge varies with amount of driving

Non-Market Based

Ride Sharing Carpool Vanpool

Transit Transit provision Transit improvement

Alternative Work Schedules Flexi-time Compressed working week Staggered shift

Tele-work Use of internet to replace physical travel

Employer Based Travel plan Company vehicle School bus Parking management

16. Road Pricing involves charging motorists directly for driving on a particular road or in a

particular area. There are a number of possible road pricing schemes such as:

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a. Congestion Metering. It is a charge that is taken for the congestion caused by

any driver. The charge would vary according to traffic conditions, both across the

charged area and by time.

b. Time Based Charging. In this system, the charge is directly proportional to

the time spent travelling within the charged area.

c. Distance Based Charging. Here, drivers are charged directly for the distance

travelled within the charged area.

d. Point Based or Cordon Charging. In this system, drivers are charged when

they pass a point which forms part of a continuous boundary for a system of cells, or

cordon encircling areas, or screen lines dividing an area or separating two areas.

e. Supplementary Licenses. Supplementary licenses, for which a charge is

levied, can be required to either an area or to be within an area, during a specified period.

17. Fuel price increases. It can help reduce traffic congestion by reducing travel demand. In

USA, a 28% increase in average fuel prices during the first half of 2008 contributed to a 3%

reduction in average national Travel Time Index values.

18. Distance-Based Fees. It means that vehicle charges are based on how much a vehicle is

driven. Such fees tend to be more economically efficient and fairer than existing pricing

practices.

19. Ridesharing . It refers to carpooling and vanpooling, in which vehicles carry additional

passengers. Carpooling generally uses participants’ own automobiles. Vanpooling generally uses

rented vans (often supplied by employers, non-profit organizations or government agencies).

Ridesharing can reduce peak-period vehicle trips and increase commuters travel choices. It

reduces congestion, road and parking facility costs, crash risk, and pollution emissions.

20. Transit related transport demand management strategies. It is reasonable to

expect that a better and more efficient public transport system would attract more travelers to use

the system. It is required to accommodate the solo drivers priced out of their cars due to road and

parking pricing.

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21. Alternative Work schedules . It can also reduce peak period commute travel, and

thus can reduce traffic congestion. Different types of alternative work schedules include flexi-

time, compressed working week, and staggered shifts. Even though these types of work

schedules do not reduce the total amount of travel, they have the potential to reduce the degree of

roadway congestion by shifting a portion of trips from peak to off-peak periods.

22. Tele-work. It involves the use of telecommunications to substitute for physical travel,

and gives people a way to avoid travelling under congested conditions. It is suggested that fewer

commute journeys can be reduced in part by more people teleworking.

23. Parking Management and Parking Pricing. They are effective ways to reduce

automobile travel, and tend to be particularly effective in commercial areas where congestion

problems are greatest. Efficient pricing of on-street parking would make urban driving more

expensive but more efficient, due to lower levels of traffic congestion and the relative ease in

finding a parking space near destinations.

24. Employer based transport demand management strategies. It includes public and

private sector programs and services that encourage employees to change their commuting

practices, incentives that make publicly provided travel modes more attractive, disincentives to

solo commuting, and employer management policies that offer employees flexibility in travel

mode choices.

PROSPECTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF TDM STRATEGIES

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IN DHAKA

25. Although the government has started implementing of new highways and mass rapid

transit facilities as per STP, how far those targets can be achieved remains questionable. The two

likely major impediments are limited resources and lack of available land. Managing the flow of

traffic during the construction period may also be of great concern which is already been

experienced at Jatrabari. On the other hand, TDM measures are less costly and can be

implemented within a relatively short period of time. The prospects of implementing different

demand management measures in Dhaka are discussed in the subsequent paragraphs.

26. Development of Mass Transit System. The prerequisite to implement TDM

measures is a comfortable and reliable public transport services. The current situation with

respect to public transport services (mainly buses) in the city is inadequate. The government

should make every effort to start implementing the recommendations of the STP, especially

relating to rail based mass rapid transit facilities. Side by side the Bus transport system should

also be consolidate.

27. Pricing Measures. The likely actions that can be implemented are mentioned below:

a. The import tax on passenger cars and the registration cost of private vehicles

should be increased further. Special tax may be taken from the persons having more than

one vehicle.

b. The fuel (petrol and octane) price should not be subsidized as done presently.

c. Prohibition of use of CNG by the private vehicles.

d. The fuel tax, road tax, and yearly fitness fee for automobiles can further be

increased.

e. An area based road pricing scheme could also be considered so as to discourage

the use of automobiles. Since labor is relatively cheap in Bangladesh, a paper based

pricing could be a viable option.

28. Managing Rickshaws. An affordable and reliable mass transit system would

attract a significant portion of rickshaw travelers and would thus help to reduce their number.

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29. Parking Management.

a. It must be made mandatory for any residential building/commercial shopping mall

constructions to have enough parking spaces along with proper entry and exits.

b. On-street car parking at the front of buildings should be charged at a rate higher

than that of parking inside the basement or in the upper levels.

c. A parking charge would increase the cost of driving an automobile and would

work as a deterrent to increased automobile use.

d. The enforcement of parking regulations should be done religiously.

30. Employer Based Measures.

a. Company Buses. Provision of company vehicles for the transport of

employees could be made mandatory. The companies may be allowed to use some of

their funds allocated for ‘corporate social responsibility’ in this regard. For example, the

company buses for employees of ready-made garment industries may not only meet their

mobility needs, but can also help improve the traffic situation. The trips made by these

workers are entirely on foot. The high volumes of pedestrians often cause adverse effects

on the quality of traffic flow.

b. School Bus Services. The government could take steps to make it mandatory for

the school authorities, mainly private English medium schools, to arrange a safe and

reliable transport service so that a majority of the students may use the school buses. This

will considerably reduce traffic congestion in the early morning and early afternoon.

31. Alternative Work Schedules. The government’s attempt for implementing

staggered working hours for different types of organizations by thirty minutes to an hour did not

succeed. The city streets are carrying volumes well above their capacities for almost 12 hours

each day. As a result the changes in traffic volumes due to the staggered working hours are

unlikely to bring about any noticeable changes in the level of congestion.

32. Ridesharing (Car pooling and Van pooling). Even though Bangladesh is a

moderately liberal Muslim country, carpooling may not offer a viable alternative in near future.

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People would prefer not to share their cars with others. However, a social campaign about the

benefits of carpooling and high parking charges may bring some change. The government may

initially offer incentives to private companies to operate vanpooling on an experimental basis in

order to see the level of acceptance among travelers.

33. Distance Based Fees and Tele-work. While it is true that ‘pay as you drive’ and

tele-work have the potential to reduce the amount of automobile usage, their prospects as travel

demand management measures in Dhaka are not so promising. While the country is making

continuous progress technologically and the internet is widely available in the city, it is still too

early to see these measures as viable alternatives.

34. Decentralization and Empowerment of Local Government. The present trend of

Dhaka being the center of all activities should be changed. Decentralization of central

government, empowering local government and increasing facilities in the divisional

Headquarters in terms of education, medical facilities, judiciary, job availability, etc will further

stop the migration of common masses towards Dhaka. Besides, government’s initiative to

relocate the readymade garments based industries and tanneries outside of Dhaka should be

implemented with due urgency.

CONCLUSIONS

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35. Its indeed impossible to provide adequate support to the demand of 15 million people

with such a meager resource. The price of land inside Dhaka is getting higher day by day in such

a manner that, it will be impossible for the government to acquire land further to expand its road

network. The present approach followed in Dhaka is one of supply side measures or ‘predict and

provide’, most notably seeking to add road space as a means of dealing with traffic congestion.

Similar approach was used by the UK in the 1960s and 1970s. The main limitation of this

strategy is the lack of finance for road building projects and availability of land.

36. Before applying TDM strategies, the mass transit system of Dhaka must be refurbished.

Without providing adequate safe and wide ranges of options for travel, TDM strategies will not

succeed as per expectation. Besides, not all the TDM policies will be feasible in Dhaka. Such as,

car pooling will not be a viable option in Dhaka. Non motorized transport like rickshaw is a

significant part of the traffic congestion problem in Dhaka which should be decreased gradually.

The low level of car ownership in Bangladesh affords an opportunity to introduce fiscal

measures without impacting substantially on the majority of the population. Being a labor

intensive country, we should approach with a labor intensive, paper based road pricing scheme.

37. The major impediment to the implementation of transport strategies is the political framework in which decision making takes place. Besides success of travel demand management policy can only be possible by the effective participation from the people involved. Apart from policy making, the Government should also take a whole hearted effort to motivate the common masses to change their travel behavior. In some cases, the obstacles are primarily institutional in nature and include overlapping and uncoordinated institutional structures, inadequate or poorly trained technical staff for planning and implementation functions, a lack of legal capacity to enforce regulation and laws, and limited institutional support for new, and often poorly understood policies. These obstacles can be overcome through changes in legislation, better training of personnel, and enhanced citizen participation.

REFERENCES:

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1. Class Notes On TDM, Dr Tanweer Hasan, Department of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

2. “Traffic Congestion in Dhaka: The role of transport demand management measures” Professor Dr Tanweer Hasan, Department of Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology

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