The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) collaborated with Rajuk and hosted the 3rd Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Seminar on Thursday at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center.
The seminar introduced draft TOD guidelines under final review and marked a significant milestone for the future urban development of Dhaka city.
The seminar on JICA's ongoing technical cooperation project, “The Project for Development of Policy and Guidelines for Transit-Oriented Development Mass Transit Corridors,” presented the progress of project activities and the contents of the TOD guidelines.
TOD is a method that promotes urban development centred around public transport.
Adilur Rahman Khan, adviser of Ministry of Industries and Housing and Public Works; Md Hamidur Rahman Khan, secretary of Ministry of Housing and Public Works; Maj Gen (retd) Siddiqur Rahman Sarker, chairman, Rajuk; Mohammad Abdur Rauf, managing director, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited; and ICHIGUCHI Tomohide, chief representative, JICA Bangladesh Office attended the ceremony and shared their observations.
ICHIGUCHI Tomohide, chief representative, JICA Bangladesh Office, said that the TOD approach has enormous potentials to reverse the trend of increasing vehicle and traffic congestions by enhancing the importance and convenience of public transport for more comfortable and efficient lives of people in Dhaka.
He mentioned one of the challenges is to have mutual understanding and cooperation among the stakeholder government organizations and stressed the importance of consensus-building and unified efforts. He firmly expects the wide application and implementation of TOD through incorporating TOD guidelines into various policies and Detailed Area Plan in Dhaka.
In collaboration with key stakeholders, the JICA expert team headed by Nozomi Hishida has been developing TOD guidelines, which cover a general framework of TOD in Dhaka, the basic process and content of planning, and the methods of implementation for realizing TOD. They shared the progress of one of the pilot projects, involving planning at selected sites: the Gabtoli area for the future MRT Line 5 and 2.
One of the highlights was the lively Q&A session, featuring active participation from government officials, academics, and private sectors. Their constructive questions and comments fostered a highly positive and collaborative environment.
The seminar was attended by stakeholders from relevant ministries, including the Ministries of Industries and Housing and Public Works, concerned government agencies such as Rajuk, DTCA, DMTCL, BRTC, BRTA, DMP, DNCC, DSCC, and others, including academia and international development partners. Their participation highlighted the essential role of mutual understanding and collaboration in the success of TOD initiatives.