An estimated 5 million work hours are lost every year in Dhaka as a consequence of persistent traffic congestion.
This results in an economic loss of about Tk37000 crore each year, an amount sufficient to fund the construction of two MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) metro lines.
Dr Sheikh Moinuddin, special assistant to the Chief Adviser (Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges), identified this persistent gridlock as a major obstacle to development in the capital.
He made these comments on Thursday, while delivering the keynote speech at a seminar titled “Monthly Macroeconomic Insights: An Analysis Post-Budget,” held at the Policy Research Institute’s (PRI) Banani office.
Dr Moinuddin said: “There is a lack of coordination among planning, design, and implementation phases in infrastructure development in the country. Four different ministries—responsible respectively for road, rail, waterwa,y and air transport—operate independently without effective coordination. This calls for the establishment of a centralised planning authority and a consolidated Ministry of Transport.”
He further added: “Our development projects are plagued by lengthy procedural delays. It often takes four to five years just to obtain approval for a project’s Development Project Proposal (DPP). Meanwhile, due to fluctuations in exchange rates and rising costs, project expenses frequently double. Therefore, there is an urgent need to formulate a sustainable ‘Transportation Master Plan'."
The other speakers at the seminar emphasized that mismanagement and lack of coordination within the transport system, both in the capital and nationwide, have become significant impediments to economic progress.
The discussion highlighted that without overhauling and modernizing transport and logistics, sustained economic development will remain unattainable.
