We welcome the passage of the amended Metro Rail Bill on Monday.
By progressing the building of this key JICA-supported project, it is a welcome step forward in improving Dhaka’s infrastructure and helping the capital’s commuters.
However, this keynote project alone will not be sufficient to provide the quick and modern public transport system which the city so desperately needs.
Congestion costs Dhaka’s economy over Tk200bn every year. The gridlock it brings hampers the city’s ability to attract investment and is a major factor in reducing quality of life for all residents.
The most cost effective way available to lower congestion is to improve the quality and efficiency of our bus services. Even in cities with mass transit rail systems, improving the quality and efficiency of bus services has been proven time and again to be the critical factor in reducing congestion on the roads.
Investment in making public transport more attractive, so commuters are tempted out of cars and CNGs, will more than pay for itself by reducing gridlock and speeding up journey times for everyone.
To achieve this goal, however, the government and BRTC have to prioritise overhauling the woefully ineffective regulation of Dhaka’s bus services.
This means introducing and enforcing public transport-only bus lanes on all major thoroughfares. It includes improving signage and bus stops to help make bus services more attractive and efficient.
Only by adopting such an integrated approach can the city hope to provide a faster and more comfortable public transport system which can make a real difference to congestion.