Over the years, Dhaka’s streets and major thoroughfares have become almost impossible for vehicles to maneuver due to persistent traffic gridlock, partly attributed to haphazard and illegal parking in the city.
Because of the lack of parking spaces and enforcement of traffic rules, traffic congestion is going from bad to worse with each passing day, much to the trouble of pedestrians.
A 2014 study by Rajuk found that existing parking facilities were inadequate in the capital. Facilities owned by Rajuk and Dhaka city corporations could accommodate only 1,474 vehicles in off-street parking slots, it said.
App-based parking under way
In order to reduce traffic congestion, traffic management agencies in Dhaka are planning to introduce an app-based car parking system in the capital to ease traffic congestion.
Discussion is ongoing between traffic police and city development authorities to introduce an improved system for car parking using apps, said officials.
A draft proposal has already been prepared in this regard, they added.
According to the proposal, once the policy is ready, the authorities are expected to introduce a technology based parking management system in Dhaka, like the ones being developed and implemented in advanced countries.
Once the system is put in place, the authorities will develop steel structure multistoried car parking facilities in Dhaka, particularly close to government buildings.
Chaotic parking blamed for nagging traffic congestion
A senior official of the traffic management department of police involved in the process, told the Dhaka Tribune that the major reason for Dhaka's nagging traffic is haphazard parking.
In order to improve the situation, the road transport division, Dhaka's two city corporations, the traffic management department of police, various government agencies, and Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) held meetings to discuss the plan.
In a meeting held on December 1, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader recommended the introduction of 68 on-street parking spots in Dhaka city and the meeting approved implementation of the plan in 64 spots.
On-street parking allows lawful parking of vehicles on one side of the street for a certain period of time for a fixed charge, or even for free. The e-token system, to be introduced in the plan, will generate revenue for the city corporation too.
Past efforts failed due to bad management
Sources at the traffic management division of police said on-street parking was previously introduced at separate locations in the city, but it failed to attract people because of mismanagement and an exorbitant price tag set by the lease holding companies.
To put it very precisely, city streets in Gulshan, Banani, Dhanmondi, Motijheel Commercial Area, and the Dilkusha business area become too narrow on weekdays because of illegal parking. Despite the fact that traffic police do file cases against offenders, there has been no improvement in the situation.
Considering other factors, Dhaka city transport sector stakeholders have decided to introduce an app-based parking system in the city, to develop Dhaka as a planned city.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Additional Commissioner (traffic) M Mofiz Uddin said app-based car parking systems gained popularity in many countries and Bangladesh is planning to introduce such a system too.
"Say for example, you are riding a vehicle to Dhaka's commercial hub Motijheel. However, the destination you will be visiting does not have parking. And for that matter, if you decide to park your vehicle on the street, that will cause trouble to others, not to mention a sure traffic violation as per traffic regulations. Against such a backdrop, if you could figure out a parking space close to your destination prior to your travelling, that would make everything much more convenient and predictable,” he said.
One then spends a fixed amount of money for parking services and can help reduce traffic congestion in the city, helping people make things better, added the official.
According to the proposal, there will be a central data centre that will ensure CCTV cameras, sensors and car parking meters for an app-based car parking system. It will also provide necessary information to the app user via mobile phone towers, said officials involved in the process.
The authorities have already made a model presentation to a private software company on how it wants to develop the app-based traffic management system in Dhaka.
Md. Asif Ali Siddique, Assistant GIS Analyst of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) told the Dhaka Tribune that the agencies concerned are now working in concert on how the 64 on street parking spots, approved at the December 1 meeting, can be digitized.
Sixty-four on-street parking spots in Dhaka North and South
According to the traffic division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Dhaka South is the most important area for the 64 on street parking spots. A total of 26 spots have been located in the area, including all important Motijheel and Dilkusha.
Meanwhile, a total of 28 locations have been identified in Dhaka North traffic division that include Gulshan, Banani, and Uttara. Seven locations have so far been identified in Dhaka South traffic division that consists of Bailey Road, Dhanmondi, Elephant Road, and New Market, while three locations have been fixed for the Dhaka West traffic division that consists of the greater Mirpur area.
With around 17 million residents, Dhaka has around 1,517,929 registered motorized vehicles as of November 2019, according to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA). This includes 79,686 microbuses, 708,970 motorcycles, and 29,1082 private cars.
The capital city frequently grinds to a halt during rush hour. Badly maintained roads and vehicles, poor driver discipline and a lack of investment in infrastructure are all to blame.
