Ensure a walking, cycling friendly city

Although 93 percent of commutes in Dhaka are on foot, bicycle, rickshaw and public transport, they get least priority in transport planning, speakers at a webinar said yesterday.

It is important to undertake functional projects which will take into account the need of all city dwellers and to create a pro-people city and ensure a walking and cycling-friendly environment, they said at the event titled "Back to Walking and Cycling for Livable Cities", marking World Car Free Day.

Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), in association with 60 government and non-government organisations, held several programmes including the webinar on the occasion, says a press release.

DTCA Executive Director Khondoker Rakibur Rahman presided over the webinar while Prof Samsul Hoque of Civil Engineering Department of Buet presented the keynote speech.

Nilima Akhter, additional secretary of Road Transport and Highways Division; Nur Mohammed Mazumder, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA); Brig Gen Amirul Islam, chief engineer of Dhaka North City Corporation; and Saifuddin Ahmed, executive director of WBB Trust, among others, took part in the webinar.

In the keynote, Prof Shamsul said it is important to have alternative of private cars and it is not enough to have public transports only. "We need an integrated transport system prioritising walking, cycling, rickshaw, water transport and rail. We must focus on road infrastructure to have functional mega projects," he added.

Nilima Akhter said developed countries prioritise walking and cycling in urban transport planning, making themselves able to control traffic congestion.

Nur Mohammed Mazumder said it is important to ensure active and safe commutes to school, to control usage of cars for children going to school.

Khondoker Rakibur Rahman said they will hold discussions with both city corporations about road network, with Rajuk about land use and with traffic police about traffic management soon. "We will have specific planning and will implement those with coordination of relevant organisations," he added.