Dhaka Traffic restricts building smart Bangladesh

Dhaka's traffic system was developed in an entirely unplanned manner; every level of the transportation system is malfunctioning; those entrusted with regulating the transportation sector effectively are making unwise decisions and unattainable plans; this has led to the establishment of a reckless process. When it comes to street safety, we may point the finger at the drivers of public transportation, but the real culprits—those who allowed so many cars to operate on such tiny roads and created this competitive cycle—go unpunished. But those who issue driving permits are held to a higher standard of the responsibility than drivers. If we enable an unruly system to flourish from the start, the current state will be the same in future.

Training and law enforcement alone cannot restore a routine on the roads and highways. It's readily apparent unfair competition on the roads. If appropriate plans were made and carried out, the entire capital could operate like Hatirjheel. In the Gulshan area, a disciplined transportation system was established by Dhaka Chaka and other transport companies. For bettering everything, the entire city might put in such a system. Unruly transportation, an excessive number of buses, muddled public transportation, fractured traffic signals, lack of free and pedestrian-friendly walkways - are factors contributing to the chaotic transportation scene in the capital.

Massive project implementation and financial investments are on the table for the transportation sector, but even these efforts will not be sufficient to achieve the intended or appropriate results. Because of the fact that the road is still chaotic. The metro rail system in Dhaka has been enacted. It's being carried out as a development initiative. The metrorail network is not isolated. It is a component of the capital's entire transportation network. Consequently, that is the way we must think. The capital's transportation infrastructure won't magically get better or be restored just because a metro rail system is installed. Starting with the construction of Apros Road and the Metrorail station, communication should be made easier.

If a passenger cannot reach the metro rail station from home easily, it won’t be fruitful as expected. Metro rail has been initiated to make the traffic of the capital faster and better. Gigantic amount of money was invested into the project. Metro-based town plans are generated in developed nations like Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and so on. Furthermore, Dhaka, our capital, is expanding erratic without a strategy. The city is getting harder and harder to control. We are unsure about the exact methods used in the construction of buildings and roads, and whether or not they are being built to meet the requirements of a sophisticated and modern city.

A unique DAP based on metro stations is required if we are to create a modern, savvy, and manageable city. There will be tall buildings. The vertical or horizontal extension touches the sky. There will be less traffic as a result. Because if it is near the metro station, one can walk to the metro station without a car. Her/his workplace may be near the metro station. And those who stay away from the workplace, will also be interested in building housing near the station. Metro systems are designed to develop mass transport systems and ensure sustainable cities, as they play a major role in developed countries. We created that metro system as a project that resembled a flyover. The future coordination of the communication system with the metro rail system is not yet clearly planned.

No effective plan has been taken regarding how the commuters around the metro station will use which road to reach the station. Metrorail will not go door to door to fetch passengers. Consequently, it appears that the Metrorail system is unable to function as effectively as it could. A passenger should have cost-effective and comfortable transportation to and from the station and back home. Otherwise, why would he travel by Metrorail? In the present situation, there is a risk of creating severe traffic jams by renewing the stations which are close to the junction. Those who travel by metro will surely feel comfort. because they won't be greatly impacted by traffic; however, the paradox will start once they exit the metro. because we fail to reserve enough room for feeder roads. There's no reliable transportation system. In other words, we were unable to verify the supporting routes, such as using the metro. Not even the pathways are suitable for strolling. Adjacent businesses occupy most of the sidewalks. If you want to, you cannot walk there as usual. We have not fully utilized the metro rail system's potential to contribute significantly to public transportation. The city's public transportation system will not be increased or made more convenient by an expensive metro rail system.

According to a report by an international research institute, Dhaka, the capital, is the world's slowest city. The institution's study's findings are undoubtedly worthy of consideration, however, if the government is informed that Dhaka is rapidly losing its livability, it would declare that these are biased and incomplete reports. But there is no way to dispute the findings of the Google-based study. It is not necessary to take a trip to Bangladesh to gather information about how the country's capital, Dhaka, has devolved into the world's slowest city. Google has information about every city in the world. They are using that data to compile objective reports. The results of their research are certain. The research institute has presented an accurate image of the transportation crisis and traffic jams in Dhaka, the country's capital. This research report serves as a warning to those considering investing in traffic reduction.

Thousands of crores were spent building numerous flyovers in Dhaka, but the intended outcome was not achieved. There is no way we can quicken the pace of traffic in the city. Dhaka, the country's capital, is growing increasingly crowded every day. Dhaka is going to become a stagnant city in the modern world. It will not be surprising if Dhaka becomes completely uninhabitable in the future. And the city is being built in such a way that there will be no way out in the future. Google uses reliable data to create its reports. Because no one can influence their information even if they want to. Every country in the world will know that Dhaka city has been recognized as the slowest city in the world by the research institute. When establishing any kind of relationship with Dhaka, be it economic or otherwise, they will keep the issue in mind. When making investment decisions in Bangladesh, foreign investors will consider the issue of traffic congestion.

Our thriving tourism industry is going to be the hardest hit. Because nobody wants to travel to Bangladesh and get caught in traffic while there for vacation. Any traveler wants to see as many places as possible in a short amount of time. The tourism industry is receiving funding from the government. The city's slow-moving traffic may limit the potential for investment-based tourism sector development. When someone query about the condition of our nation's development, I will respond that it has developed gradually rather than entirely. In certain circumstances, we must acknowledge the reality and adjust our development plan. You should never sit stubbornly. It is imperative to learn from past mistakes made during the course of development activities and conduct them appropriately going forward. We must learn from past mistakes. Most of the development activities that have taken place in our country are uncoordinated development. As a result, the development activities are not resilient desired results. As of right now, Bangladesh ranked first in the world for air pollution. As far as vehicle speed goes, we are currently the best-ranked nation in the world in terms of sloth vehicle.

Many people raise the question, the cost of construction of flyovers, metrorail etc. is relatively high in our country compared to neighboring countries. There are two reasons behind this, consistent and inconsistent. Our inefficiency is one of the causes of irregularity. Among the related factors, the most prominent one is that our content is low. There is also lack of merit or competence. We compare with India; But it must be remembered that India has its own talent and the construction materials used are also provided by themselves. They do not have to bring anything from outside; But the construction materials and manpower of Bangladesh have to be brought from outside. So, the construction cost is high. But the strange factor is that JICA has given money to India to build the Metrorail. It gave money to Indonesia too. Bangladesh was also given money; But JICA has given different conditions for each country. In the case of Bangladesh, the terms granted to India and Indonesia are not the same. How long to pay the loan and what the interest rate will be is a common question that applies to all nations. For instance, an implicit condition of the JICA loan to Bangladesh is that the Japanese will work on the metro project. Construction materials should be brought from Japan. Due to these conditions, the cost in Bangladesh is higher than in India or Indonesia.

Those who were responsible for signing the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh, did not take these conditions into consideration. This is where the evidence of their incompetence can be found. A financing institution was offering loan to three separate countries, but different condition will be applied for each country. We are not even in the right mindset to examine this ridiculous situation. Our representatives instead speak for the executed contract. The funds we are allocating for development belong to the people. Thus, caution should be used when distributing people's funds. The costs will increase if the country or organization providing the funding is involved in the implementation. I believe there has been some corruption on the part of those carrying out the project that will call for additional funds.

Author: Professor, Civil Engineering Department, BUET

Transcribe: M A Khaleque