Facts and figures
At last we have some real facts and figures on traffic jams in Dhaka from authoritative and reliable sources. The DS of 23 Oct contains a report on the workshop held by JICA/BUET (page 2) “City Traffic Worsening”, and another article on Page 11 entitled “Road Safety and Traffic Congestion by Md Rezaul Karim of Transparency Int. This letter therefore contains the information divulged therein as they make interesting reading and are eye-openers.
1.Dhakabashis make approx 23 million trips every day 40% by rickshaws, 33% by buses, mini-buses and the like, 18% walk, the remaining 9% by CNG, bi-cycle, motorcycle, and PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLES.
2. Fifteen thousand bus-owners operate 15,000 buses of all sizes in chaotic condition. Of Dhaka's 2,500 kms roads, only 250 kms are fit for public transport.
3. Forty-eight thousand motor vehicles are added every year of which only 3% are buses while 89% are private cars, occupying 97% of road surface (while carrying about 1-2% passengers), but nobody talks about this.
4. Road accidents in 2007 caused 3,749 deaths (and maybe ten times that in injuries), costing as much as Tk 2,400 crores to the nation.
5. Expressions used in the articles are that traffic congestion receives “no political commitment, are not scientifically designed, poorly managed and undisciplined, no accountability or integrity of operators, controllers and associations. Too many controllers BRTA, DMP, DTCB, RHD, DCC, BTCI, MOE, WASA etc making hay while the city is held hostage.
I am glad that the above information matches very closely with some of the facts I have been advocating in the previous 52 letters on the subject over the last 2.5 years. Another significant remark made in the BUET/JICA workshop was that “each traffic component in the proposed STP be developed in an integrated manner so one does not foil the other”. Mr Rezaul Karim's article is remarkable in the sense that while analysing Dhaka's traffic congestion, he did not use the word 'rickshaw' even once!! Is it possible even to think about Dhaka's traffic without rickshaws for at least the next 10-15 years before the proposed 'mass transit systems' materialize or alternate systems evolve.
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