Mobile Edition
Regular Site
|
Weekly Blitz Mobile Edition Regular Site |
| Home | Archive | About | Search | |
by Sayed Javed Ahmad
February 3, 2010
 Send |
 RSS |
Share: 
 |
We can understand why our Prime Minister expressed disappointment over the failure of the authorities concerned in easing the city's traffic congestion despite repeated instructions over the last one year. She was 'very unhappy' as there was no progress in this regard and held the home and communications ministries responsible for this.
Communications Minister tried to defend himself blaming the increasing number of vehicles while the PM refuted the excuse pointing out that lack of management was being responsible for the situation. She asked the Police Department and Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to stop malpractice immediately.
The PM also expressed her frustration over the failure to construct flyovers at six risky level crossings in the city. She asked the communications minister to take up the responsibility and construct the overpasses immediately.
On the other hand, the transport experts are saying that the mass transit system can resolve traffic mess. Public transport comprising mass transit system and organized quality bus service is the answer to traffic mess in the capital. Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) organized the public consultation on Dhaka Urban Transport Network Development Study (DHUTS) at BRAC Centre Inn in the city. Rail-based mass rapid transit system (metro rail) along with efficient bus service can resolve the high transport demand in the capital said a former director of UN-ESCAP. Discussants in the audience, however, recommended that the study must look into how to make the mass transit system affordable for the mass people.
There is an attempt to reduce the traffic congestion by 'zoning of holidays' with anticipation that it would bring some relief. It may bring 'some relief' in the condition, but it will also reduce economic activates in our financial system considerably causing some public dissatisfaction. In this hopeless situation, we would like to offer some ideas that might solve the major part of the problem.
Not too long ago we have seen some news making headlines in our local newspapers that pondered on having a city or metro train system over ground or underground. Many developed countries have this system in place as a part of the mass transport system in their main cities. For instance, there are metro trains in Hong Kong, Singapore, UK, USA, etc. Condition of the geographical terrain and climate are the main deciding factors in this decision making process. Most of those countries where city trains are in operation over or under the ground have rocky surface. But in Bangladesh we have soft soil surface that makes it unsuitable for either having over ground or under ground train system. It will be costly to construct over ground train lines and risky to have the under ground lines for floods in rainy season.
For us, the best solution is to have the city train system 'on ground', not over or under. We could be the first country to introduce a massive city train system covering the entire city reducing the cars and other single transports remarkably.
If we just lay down train lines on our existing main roads connecting each every other roads covering the main parts of the city then we could reduce the use of all other transports to such a degree that the whole city will find relief from the over capacitated use of transport vehicles and the jams they cause. For example, if we establish a train line from say Science Laboratory to Motijheel over the main road that would come via Katabon, Sahabag, Ramna, Press Club, Palton, then we could see that all the people who commutes this track could reach their destinations in a very short time. Similarly, a train could go from Dhanmondi to Uttara via Bijoy Shoroni, touching Farm Gate and Tejgaon Industrail Area toward Uttara covering Mohakhali, Cantonment, Banani (to Gulshan from Kakoli), Nikunja, Airport area.
Since no cars, buses or any other single vehicle will be allowed to run over these tracks, trains could run on the tracks every 10 to 15 minutes back and forth. Frequency of the service could be divided into peak and off peak hour basis. All single transports could use the streets where the train lines are not laid down. Therefore, the design of the train connectivity would have to be taken into consideration in such a way so that all the major parts of the city are covered through connecting stations and majority of the people could have easy access to them.
Rickshaws could be allowed to plow in the narrow street where no car or trains could get in. For the cargo trucks, some streets could be dedicated or allowed to run parallel to the train lines so that they could reach their industrial destinations without interfering with the train system. Therefore, in our design layout we need to pay attention to not having any crossings.
Once the system is in place, people would not use their private cars anymore. The city and the economy will get tremendous relief from the vehicle pressure and use of fuel respectively. However, the public transport system managed by the private companies (i.e., private bus and mini bus companies) will be affected. But for greater cause, we would have to put up with that part. Their removal would be gradual as the system will be completed phase by phase, part by part and area by area. They can continue their business where the train system will not be deployed.
In the mean time however, until the design layout and planning is complete for the city electric train system, we would have to put up with the existing system. Our concerned departments need to pay attention to the organization of the roads and streets and their connectivity and revise it as necessary. For example, if we open up Road number 2 of Dhanmondi residential area and connect it with Elephant Road and allow the traffic to make turns at the intersection of Road number 1 instead of forcing the traffic to make turn in front of Road no. 3 then we could reduce the jam there. Again, if we allow the rickshaw to cross Road no. 32 and allow then to make turn at the intersection allowing them to get on the Panthopoth then we could reduce the bottleneck on Road no. 8 bridge and Green Road.
We would have to make it harder to get a driver's license until the student driver demonstrates convincingly that he or she truly understand the traffic laws and road safety issues. At the same time we need to ensure that the traffic police who are supposed to maintain and watch the traffic and drivers behaviors themselves know and understand their own laws, rules and regulations. Just moving a stick at the corner of the street would not be enough. Because we now know for sure that it is not working.
Let us use our brains and demonstrate some level of intelligence in order to solve the problems and make our PM happy and proud. Shall we?
Related Topics: Bangladesh News receive the latest by email: subscribe to weekly blitz's free mailing list