Traffic congestion in the capital has become unbearable as different government agencies have failed to implement different projects in an integrated way to tackle problem.
Urban planners said city congestion would not checked if urbanisation, including development of transportation and traffic system, is not done with coordination among Rajdhani Unnayan Kartipakskha (Rajuk), City Corporation, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and respective ministries.
Although the government has implemented a few mega projects, including Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover and Kuril flyover in the city, townspeople are still struggling with traffic congestion every day.
During a visit to different routes of the city this correspondent found that none of city roads was jam-free. The congestion not only hits roads, but also flyovers.
Prof Nazrul Islam, chairman of Centre for Urban Studies, said, “Since urbanisation and traffic mismanagement in Dhaka city is completely unplanned, there is no abatement of congestion. It may intensify in future if the government does not take fitting steps for decentralisation.”
Nazrul said Dhaka city was reeling under the heavy pressure of populace and traffics as most of government and private offices’ headquarters, different industries, educational institutions and offices of different sectors are situated in the capital. He said Dhaka itself had the highest rate of urbanisation at 90%. He blamed illegal parking, running of rickshaws on thoroughfares, auto-rickshaw, private cars for traffic jam.
“The government should establish separate lanes for buses, as most townsfolk use buses,” he suggested.
After winning the ninth general polls, the ruling party Awami League had taken different steps – different special bus services, CCTV aided surveillance system, banning old vehicles, setting up new timing for school and office, implementation of automated traffic signals- to reduce traffic jam and public harassment in the capital.
The government has also taken steps to construct link roads, flyover, bus-rapid-transit system, elevated expressway, and metro rail transit in the city, and launched water bus service in the rivers surrounding the city.
Since the early 1990s, several studies have been taken up by the government and other funding agencies to evaluate the transport improvements. The Strategic Transport Plan for Dhaka (STP 2006) is the most recent and comprehensive one. The STP, which has a planning horizon of 20 years (2004 to 2024), recommends an improved public transportation system coupled with improved roadway system.
Professor Dr Sarwar Jahan, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Buet, reiterated what Professor Nazrul Islam had earlier said: “The capital has become unfit for living because of enormous rates of migration to the capital. About 1.5 crore people are living in and around the city.”
If the government does not take strict measures for decentralisation, none of the traffic developments - overpass, underpass, elevated expressway, metro rai- will be fruitful for reducing traffic congestion,” he added.
