Traffic problem in Dhaka
Dhaka, the capital of the country and one of the most densely populated mega-cities in the world, has been lacking in proper infrastructure, considering mobility, pollution etc. It is a matter of utter dismay that Dhaka is still deprived of an effective mass transit system even though the population is over 13 million with a fair possibility that it will be doubled by 2015-2016. Like environmental issues, congestion in a mega-city like Dhaka is a matter of long discussion and that's why transportation engineers are engaged in prolonged studies to solve the problem. Congestion and its pattern varies from city to city depending on the population density, city area, percentage of roads, traffic management etc. We can't expect the same congestion index in Dhaka (only about 614 sq. Km) and Delhi (about 3000 sq. Km). We can't compare Dhaka with New York or Bangkok as well. Policy makers all over the world are also concerned about the energy efficient transport system that means more passengers have to be catered to with minimum fuel consumption. What is happening in Dhaka is simply the waste of working hours with wastage of imported fuel resulting in huge pollution. In this regard, something has to be done which would be practical as well as serving the necessity of the people in the coming years. Buses are the main transport here in Dhaka where people love to use rickshaws for short trips and to some extent people use expensive auto-rickshaws under compulsion. But the overall situation of the transport sector is rather far from satisfactory as people are not getting proper transport in required direction in the rush hours. Moreover, private cars are also creating huge congestion not only due to the lack of roads but also due to the absence of available parking places. Mixed traffic (slow & fast moving) is another reason behind traffic jams. The average speed of traffic has come down to only 4-5 Kph. From environmental point of view this traffic speed is responsible for pollution. Traffic management is also failing to handle such a huge traffic and what will be the situation after 10-15 years is a matter of great concern now. People losing 1-2 hours daily due to severe congestion in a hot humid Dhaka is nothing new, all are accustomed with this. We have already seen many meetings, discussions in this regard but the problem is yet to be solved. A heavy mass transit, that is metro rail is long overdue as it can carry at least 5-10 times more passengers at higher speed than buses. Subway would remove congestion permanently & make the city less polluted as it is driven electrically where the fuel consumption is also less in comparison to the present transport system. There is also provision for future expansion in subway which is impossible in all other systems like monorail/sky-train (light rail). On the other hand, expressway would only facilitate the private cars & highway buses, that's why there should be a heavy mass transit network in the metropolis connecting the city entries at a shallow depth for the mass people so that expressway could be constructed later and networks beneath the first one could also be constructed if needed.
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