Beyond flyovers and expressways: What can solve Dhaka’s traffic crisis?
Once averaging 25 km/h, vehicle speed in Dhaka has plummeted to 4.8 km/h, crippling daily commutes and draining the economy. Poor planning and rising private car numbers continue to worsen the situation
When anyone thinks about moving to Dhaka, the first thing that comes to mind is the city's relentless traffic congestion. Typically, people check Google Maps for traffic conditions and browse updates on related Facebook groups since Dhaka's roads frequently become gridlocked, trapping commuters for hours.
With over 20 million residents packed into a 306-square-kilometre area, most journeys are completed on foot or by public transport.
Transport and traffic experts stress that Dhaka urgently needs solutions. If the government implements specific measures and commuters strictly adhere to traffic rules, congestion could be reduced.
"Firstly, our country lacks a proper parking policy. Secondly, the available parking spaces are limited and often underutilised. Thirdly, the prevalence of non-motorised vehicles worsens the problem. Lastly, street hawkers significantly contribute to congestion."
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According to BUET's Accident Research Institute (ARI), traffic congestion in Dhaka costs the economy an estimated $6.5 billion annually due to lost productivity, fuel wastage, and health-related expenses. It also indirectly reduces the country's GDP by nearly 10% each year.
Another report by the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) says daily traffic jams consume 5 million working hours.
In the late 1990s, the average speed of vehicles on Dhaka's roads was 25 kilometres per hour. By 2005, research from ARI showed this had dropped to about 21 kilometres per hour. A recent study from April 2023 found that the average speed on Dhaka's main roads has now plummeted to just 4.8 kilometres per hour.
The newly released Detailed Area Plan (DAP) 2022-35 highlights that in households earning less than Tk20,000 per month, 60% of journeys are made on foot. Currently, over 40% of all trips in Dhaka rely on bus services.
Transport and road safety expert Kazi Md Shifun Newaz, an assistant professor at ARI, identifies four major causes of Dhaka's traffic congestion.
"Firstly, our country lacks a proper parking policy. Secondly, the available parking spaces are limited and often underutilised. Thirdly, the prevalence of non-motorised vehicles worsens the problem. Lastly, street hawkers significantly contribute to congestion," he said.
Newaz emphasises the need for better-maintained footpaths, ensuring they remain free of illegal encroachment. He suggests that prioritising pedestrian infrastructure would make a considerable difference.
He also criticises the current focus on infrastructure projects such as elevated expressways and flyovers, which primarily benefit private vehicles rather than public transport users.
"Only the Metro Rail project has provided some relief to public transport users. However, unless it also extends to all major routes in Dhaka, its full benefits won't be realised," he notes.
As the surveillance coordinator for the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS), Newaz suggests that existing roads and footpaths could be optimised to ease congestion.
Measures such as restricting slow-moving vehicles on main roads, creating dedicated lanes for public transport, and introducing service lines and emergency lanes for breakdowns could have a significant impact.
According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), around 40 new private cars are added to Dhaka's roads daily. In 2010, the number of private cars in the city stood at 160,000; by 2023, this had risen to 336,000. As a result, flyovers and expressways, built at the cost of billions of takas, remain congested with private vehicles, further exacerbating traffic delays.
Delhi once faced similar issues, with private buses operating on a contract basis leading to intense competition, traffic jams, and frequent accidents. Around 2011, these private buses were withdrawn, and a cluster bus service was introduced. Under this scheme, 657 of Delhi's bus routes were divided into 17 clusters, with public DTC buses and public-private partnership (PPP) buses operating on a 50:50 ratio. The allocation of operators for each cluster was determined through a competitive tendering process.
Dhaka has attempted a similar approach with the 'Dhaka Nagar Paribahan' project, but its implementation remains inconsistent.
Newaz highlights that, in many developed cities, pedestrians and public transport users are prioritised. He notes, "In these cities, footpaths are often wider than the main roads, which is not the case in Dhaka."
He also underscores the importance of dedicated service lanes. "When a car breaks down on a road without a service lane, the entire road becomes congested. If we introduce service lines and emergency lanes, many of these problems can be avoided."
Traffic congestion in Dhaka is particularly severe at intersections, where vehicles converge from multiple directions during peak hours, creating bottlenecks. Major markets and office buildings in these areas further aggravates the situation.
As a potential solution, Newaz proposes removing all shops and parking spaces within 100 metres of major intersections. Additionally, regulating vehicle flow at these critical points could significantly ease congestion.
