Causes of Traffic Jams and Its Value of Financial Loss

 

Unbearable traffic jams are prevailing in the city and it is slowly taking shape not only in big cities like Dhaka and Chattogram, but also in other small towns. Traffic gridlock is becoming increasingly complex due to unplanned urbanization, poor traffic management and unregistered vehicles. On the way to work in the capital city of Dhaka, there are unbearable traffic jams every day and most of the workers commute to their offices, educational institutions or business establishments between 7:30 am and 10:30 am and return home between 4:30 pm and 8:30 pm. As a result, the traffic jam in the capital reached its peak at this time.

According to a recent study by the Accident and Research Institute of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), the financial value of working hours lost every day due to traffic jams is around Tk 1.40 billion. In 2022, more than 8 million working hours were lost on the roads of Dhaka, which was 5 million working hours in 2017. According to the study, about 25 million trips are made every day in Dhaka on short and long distance vehicles of different types, of which 44% are office-going passengers. The increase in the number of privately owned vehicles in the last few years has led to an increase in traffic congestion. The number of private cars, jeeps and motorcycles has increased exponentially. As a result, instead of making public transport easier, traffic congestion is exacerbating the problem. The main reasons for the increase in traffic congestion are said to be the increase in the number of private vehicles and the low registration of new buses. According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), new bus registrations decreased by 32.3% in 2021 compared to 2020, while jeep sales increased by 55%, private cars by 28% and motorcycles by 27%. Another disadvantage of traffic jams is the reduced lifespan of the road. If the car is stopped for hours, the life span of the road is reduced by 18-30%. Engineers consider moving loads when designing roads. The road is getting damaged as it is filled with thousands of vehicles for hours.

One of the major causes of traffic congestion is that the road repair and development work is not completed on time and properly. Of concern is that none of the initiatives that have already been taken to reduce traffic congestion in the capital are of much use. Authorities have implemented various initiatives to reduce traffic gridlock, including blocking the entry of trucks and intercity buses in the city during the day. Besides, rickshaw movement has been stopped on various roads. Footoverbridges and underpasses have been constructed for pedestrian crossings. Traffic signal lights and CCTV cameras were also installed. But even then the traffic jam did not decrease. According to experts, as much as we have roads, if implemented with proper planning, it is possible to reduce traffic congestion by 80 percent.

The main cause of traffic congestion in the capital Dhaka is unplanned urbanization. In 1974, the population of Dhaka was only 2 million. By 1981 and 1991 it had reached 3.5 and 6.5 millions respectively. But due to the lack of decentralization of power, in the last twenty years, people from all over the country started coming to Dhaka in groups in search of work. Due to which the population of this metropolis by 2021 is 20 million. China's largest city, Shanghai, is home to only 1.8 percent of the country's population. Neighboring India's main cities are home to 2 percent of the population, Indonesia 4 percent, Pakistan 8.9 percent and Vietnam 8.1 percent. However, 11.2 percent of the total population of Bangladesh lives in Dhaka, which is the highest in the region. With an area of only 1600 sq km, Dhaka is not able to withstand the pressure of such a huge population. As a result, various civic problems are being created and one of them is traffic gridlock. In order to maintain the normal speed of vehicles in a city-metropolis, it is necessary to have 25 percent of the total roads. However, the amount of roads in the unplanned growth of Dhaka city is only 7-8 percent, which is far less than the need for moving vehicles in our capital.

Another major cause of unbearable traffic congestion in the capital is poor transport management and communication infrastructure of the city. The roads in Dhaka run 30-40 percent more than the capacity of the road. In addition, parking management is responsible for 30 percent of all traffic congestion in Dhaka. Although new infrastructures have been developed for the development of transport system in Dhaka, their management is not good at all. As a result, the benefits of these infrastructures are not being obtained. In order to reduce the unbearable traffic congestion in Dhaka to a tolerable level, proper traffic and transportation management needs to be developed. Emphasis also needs to be placed on building pedestrian friendly infrastructure, introduction of improved public transport, provision of separate lanes for public transport, control of private vehicles, development of parking management as well as psychological change of road users.

A research report presented at an annual conference of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) in December 2021 stated that the unbearable traffic congestion in the capital Dhaka was not only affecting people's suffering and working hours but also GDP and per capita income. Due to the traffic jam in Dhaka alone, the annual loss is 2.9 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). As a new base year of 2015-16, the amount of this loss in financial value is Tk. 1010.36 billion. Adding the indirect losses to unplanned urban expansion adds up to more than 6 percent of GDP.

According to the study, the Padma Bridge will make the biggest contribution to the country's economy. If the construction cost of this bridge was Tk.  301.93 billion, the direct loss of 1010.36 billion due to traffic jam in the capital could have been used to build three bridges of equal length and convenience. As the development of infrastructure would increase, so would the pace of economic activities. As a result, GDP growth could have increased by more than 3 percent. The rate of poverty alleviation was also increasing to close to two and a half percent. Besides, 5 million working hours are being lost every month due to traffic congestion in Dhaka. As a result, productivity of workers is declining, which is having a negative impact on GDP. Unplanned urbanization of the capital has exacerbated this damage to the economy. Due to traffic congestion, foreign investors and traders also do not want to come to Bangladesh, which is an ominous sign for the country's economy.

At a World Bank seminar in Dhaka in December 2019, it was said that the financial loss in Dhaka due to traffic congestion is estimated at 3 to 5 billion US dollars per year, which is Tk. 250 to Tk. 420 billion in local currency. Needless to say, limited roads and overcrowding are one of the causes of excessive traffic congestion. The situation is such that due to traffic congestion, the speed of vehicles and walking speed of people in the capital is almost equal. It was further said in the seminar that if there is investment in the road sector, proper maintenance and political will to reduce traffic congestion, it is possible to save at least 60 percent or Tk 220 billion of this loss.

At a seminar on 'The Future Planning Urban Transportation in Dhaka' at the Khamarbari Krishibid Institution of Bangladesh (KIB) in Dhaka in February 2020, it was said that due to traffic congestion, a vehicle could travel an average of 5 kilometers per hour in the capital. 12 years ago this speed was 21 kilometers per hour. Besides, 5 million working hours are being wasted daily in Dhaka alone due to traffic jam. Whose financial loss is about Tk. 360 billion per year. Besides, the immense suffering and wastage of time of people moving from one place to another in Dhaka city has now reached an unusual level. The speed of mechanical vehicles has come down to about 5 kilometers per hour like walking speed. It was further said in the seminar that the population of the capital is increasing day by day. A large number of new vehicles are being added to the existing ones. But the condition and number of the road is still the same as before. The suffering of the city dwellers has reached an indescribable level due to the ongoing visionary projects of the government, especially the construction of Metrorail. Most of the plans or recommendations that have been or are being made to overcome the current situation are short-term and short-sighted. The integrated plan is also not significantly visible.

In order to reduce the traffic gridlock in the country, a high-powered commission consisting of local and foreign members may be formed, who will suggest solutions including identifying the real causes of the traffic congestion. Valuable labor hours are being wasted due to traffic jams, which is affecting the country's economy. Just as corruption is a major threat to the economy, so too is traffic congestion causing huge damage to the country's economy. Traffic jams are a silent monster and need to be overcome. In addition, many people are facing physical and mental damage due to traffic jams. Therefore, there is no alternative but to take immediate and effective steps to reduce traffic congestion.


Md Zillur Rahaman is a Banker and Columnist.