Concept And Use Of Dual-use Cars In Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Part 4 -

Prof. Bijon Behari Sarma *

CONCEPT AND USE OF DUAL-USE CARS
IN REDUCING TRAFFIC CONGESTION
IN DHAKA CITY OF BANGLADESH

CONCLUSION :

The story of Dhaka city’s transport problem is now well-known all over the world. Even though it is a city where no more than 45 minutes may be needed to move from one end to the other, quite often the office-goers need 2 to 3 hours in each trip. It happens due to road jam, which is mostly caused due to excessive number of private cars. The authorities in charge of arranging and maintaining urban roads and transportation do not seem to have been enough of honest and intelligent people. There are valid reasons to opine like this.

Even a school boy knows that in any city foot-path is the most important mode of movement. In time of hazards when there may be no vehicle or no other mode of transport, footpaths exist as the last resort. Naturally, every where in the world the authorities endeavor their best to make the footpaths obstruction free. In Dhaka city, the authorities have not only allowed the owners to use footpath in their private use like car parking, making sloped ramps, erecting decorated name plates etc., some of them have even constructed guardian’s waiting place right on the footpath.

It is known to all that in order to gain speed the vehicles need long uninterrupted roads, where the number of right-turns (right or left used here applied in case of Dhaka city) are kept minimum. In doing so, the dividing island turns nearly continuous. When such islands run continuously in long roads, the passers-bye suffer from the problem in crossing.

So, foot over-bridge need to be constructed at suitable locations. In Dhaka the authorities have failed to show their prudence in constructing foot over bridge. In the junction of roads, cars on one lane need to remain in stop-mood, such that those at right angles may pass through. The time required for the cars in stop-mood is sufficient enough for the passers bye to cross the lane through zebra crossing. Pedestrians are the king of the road.

Naturally such crossing makes them to feel that the city belongs to them and make their journey easy. Strangely, the Dhaka city authorities have constructed foot over bridges at the junctions. This may be cited as good example of their lack of intelligence and of wastage of money. Foot over bridges need to be constructed where those are essential, like long uninterrupted roads mentioned above, near school, busy market, hospital etc.

The city authorities’ imprudence may also be seen in the construction of the foot over bridge, where the steps are dissimilar, standardized "tread and riser" have not been maintained and maintenance is extremely poor. In some bridge there is no sun rain protection and in some, the two sides have been blocked by using hoardings and signboards.

Those who fail to perform these simple duties, however, are always found interested in new and large projects, and it is not difficult to understand the reason. It is known to all that, since there is no transparent system of collection of fund for political activities in Bangladesh the ruling parties collect those mainly from such projects.

Naturally the Ministers who can manage big projects are given extreme honor in the party and also in the bureaucracy. Some of the projects mentioned above and having no good qualities are getting preferences in discussion for unknown reason. All those who are after such projects know that the construction of such a project would need 7 /8 or 10 years, by which time there will be new problems and people would forget to find out how efficiently the costly project benefitted the city or the people.

On the other hand, during the time of decision making, finalization of bids, award of contracts, import of materials etc. it may be possible to extract good commission for personal gains and to bear the cost of future elections.

We have seen this game earlier. We see many of the foot over bridge constructed near the junctions to remain idle, where the people endeavor to cross the roads, (which is natural). It is not difficult that those are the creations of some dishonest and less intelligent people who "made projects in their selfish interests".

Above we have endeavored to present an unbiased account of various proposals now being discussed in solving the transport problem of the city. We also have discussed their relative cost, efficiency, behavior during hazard etc., all however in the context of Bangladesh.

The last two proposals (No. 01 and 02) however, have been developed only in recent months and have not still entered in the arena of discussion. From logic it seems that these may be quite effective in solving Dhaka city’s problem. However, there is no scope for 'game of big money’ in these two. We are not sure whether this quality would act as, cause of their attraction or rejection.

As of now, DUAL USE CAR is in use nowhere in the world. A careful analysis would, however, reveal that in this age it is not at all difficult to introduce it. Also from all logic it seems that if introduced it would be able to solve the special type of transport problem of Dhaka city.

References :

01. February 2010 : Sarma, Bijon B. : Dwellers-Participation Based Administrative Planning Policy' and its Application in the Developing Countries, With Special Reference to Dhaka City of Bangladesh. Social Science Research Network. Link here .



Concluded......