Trackback URL
Download PDF City and communication planners yesterday emphasised the need for decentralising administration and industries and adopting both long- and short-term traffic management strategies to make Dhaka liveable.
They pleaded for not encouraging people to migrate to the capital if it is not possible to reduce its population of already over 12 million.
They were speaking at a roundtable titled “Making Dhaka Liveable: Focusing on Transport Problem”, organised by The Daily Star at its office jointly with Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology Alumni Association.
Observing that proper traffic management will reduce majority of the current problems, they put emphasis on a unified traffic management policy and increasing involvement of public transport.
“Think of decentralisation to reduce Dhaka’s population and discourage people to come to the city from across the country,” said Prof Nazrul Islam of Centre for Urban Studies.
Laying importance on walking facility, he said wrong policies were followed regarding economy and industry, which have ultimately put adverse impacts on the city life.
“We need mass rapid traffic [MRT] and bus rapid transport [BRT] to minimise the crisis and increase mobility of people but we should also create scopes for walking in the city,” he said, referring to 15 lakh garment workers who walk for about an hour to reach their workplaces.
Prof Nazrul, also chairman of the University Grants Commission, suggested minimising use of private vehicles and setting up of schools in communities within students’ walking distance.
Stressing the need for increasing people’s mobility, the experts suggested relocating garment factories and other industrial units, setting up export processing zones outside the city, introducing MRT and BRT and integrating the traffic management system with urban planning and land management policy.
They regretted the unnecessary delay in approving the Strategic Transport Planning (STP) and implementation of other projects.
Transport planning expert Dr M Rahmatullah presented a paper at the discussion, detailing the city’s traffic problems, managerial loopholes and steps and strategies so far taken in this regard.
“Only 250km arterial roads of Dhaka’s 2,200km roads–of which 1,296km belong to Dhaka City Corporation [DCC]–are suitable for large-scale bus operation,” said Rahmatullah, transport policy adviser of TSMR programme at the Planning Commission.
“Decentralising is a must and traffic congestion cannot be mitigated unless decentralisation is ensured no matter what steps we have taken to reduce traffic gridlock,” he added.
In his paper, he mentioned a few features of Dhaka city and consequences of the present city transport system, and came up with suggestions on how to make the city liveable.
Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and private companies operate around 2,000 large buses on the city roads while the number of minibus plying the roads is nearly 4,000, he said, adding that most of these vehicles are old and reconditioned.
Referring to the UNHCS forecast that Dhaka will be the sixth most populous city in the world by 2010 and second by 2015, Rahmatullah said it would be impossible to keep the city liveable if the administration is not decentralised soon.
With 1,800 vehicles getting registered every month and road space in the city being limited, restrictions should be put on vehicle registration, he said. Poor traffic management, absence of restrictions on use of private vehicles and non-traffic users’ occupying the road space are causing traffic congestion in Dhaka, he added.
As a result, besides air and noise pollutions, traffic congestion is also causing loss of fuel and productive time while Dhaka is losing its appeal.
To save Dhaka, his paper presents recommendations like involving private sector in traffic management, coordinated efforts between Dhaka Metropolitan Police and DCC, increased mobility of people, public transport, bus ownership consolidation, improvement of sidewalks, introduction of congestion charge and rational parking policy, proper road signs and lane-marking, proper drainage system, elevated expressways, improvement of regional connectivity, integrated planning of land use and transport, and building more roads and rail over bridges.
The speakers suggested restricting movement of rickshaws on the main city streets. Around 4,00,000 rickshaws are operating in the capital while 1,50,000 motorised vehicles ply the city streets.
Vice-Chancellor of Brac University Prof Jamilur Reza Choudhury, who moderated the session, said there has been a gradual decline in Dhaka city life.
“The absence of a formidable transport system has put the civic life on the verge of collapse,” he said, adding that movement of the people should be the focus of all plans.
Awami League Advisory Council member AMA Muhit recommended taking up short-term strategies and said 50-60 percent of the problems could be easily solved through proper traffic management. He also suggested strict enforcement of obeying traffic signals and introduction of lanes.
Prof Alamgir Mujibul Haque of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) put emphasis on developing and strengthening institutions for implementation of the traffic management projects. He came down heavily on Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) and the DCC for not playing their due roles in this regard.
Another Buet teacher Prof Mahbubun Nabi suggested controlling Dhaka’s population growth, establishing institutions with full responsibility for and authority on integrated town and transportation planning and involving experienced persons in it to achieve a sustainable solution.
Referring to the proposed Dhaka-Chittagong Highway and an expressway in Dhaka, President of Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries Annisul Huq said it is no longer the fund but making firm decisions that is delaying implementation of the projects.
He urged all concerned to take decisions and implement those through increasing their capacity building.
Additional Executive Secretary of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board Dr Salehuddin said, “Let us take up some short-term solutions instead of isolated ones which have virtually ruined our efforts.” Metro rail and MRT might be costly but those are necessary to resolve the ongoing crisis, he added.
Regretting the long delay in approving the STP, Salehuddin also stressed the need for a coordination committee to implement the STP, which was initiated about a decade ago but is yet to be implemented.
The experts who opined for the best use of the existing roads to minimise the current crisis decided to take immediate short-term strategies and negotiate with the government agencies concerned.
DCC Executive Engineer Abdur Razzak and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority Director General Humayun Rashid Khalifa told the discussion about their limitations in addressing the transport sector crises.
The Daily Star Editor Mahfuz Anam put emphasis on concentrating on solutions to the problems rather than discussions. He also gave assurance about all kinds of media support in this regard.
Transport Sector Management Reform team leader Sewn Howarth, Prof Shamsul Haque and Prof Jobair Bin Alamo of Buet, World Bank Senior Transport Engineer Mohiuzzamamn Kazi, Institute of Planners President Dr Sarwar Jahan, Engineer Sadiqul Islam Bhuiyan and Engineer Serajul Majid Mamoon also addressed the function.
Comments are not moderated and only expresses personal views of visitors. BangladeshNews.com.bd is not responsible for commets posted by visitors.
Leave a Reply