Dhaka needs mass transit system

TANWIR NAWAZ

The transit and mass transportation system of Dhaka has deteriorated 
badly in the last ten to fifteen years. Since 1990, the roads of Dhaka 
have increased only by 5 per cent. The population of the City has 
increased by nearly 7 million. The traffic has increased by 200 per 
cent. The roads are already clogged. Over the next twenty years the 
population will increase by another 10 million to a total of 22 million. 
The built up area will increase by another 35 per cent to 40 per cent. 
Dhaka has currently approximately 7 per cent area under road network. 
For a working city the ideal is around 25 per cent. The bare minimum is 
around 14 per cent, coupled with a very good Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) 
(METRO) system. The current estimated passengerload is around 4.0 
million. By 2024 this will rise to above 10 million per day.

Without a massively expanded road network and a collaborative public 
Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) (METRO) system the roads of Dhaka City will 
not be able to cope with the growing vehicles and expanded passengers in 
the near future and the whole transportation system will collapse. The 
urgent need now is to provide Dhaka with a major expansion of the Road 
network coupled with a surface separated Mass Rapid Transit System 
(MRT). What a METRO system does for a mega city is that it removes a 
huge number and percentage of passengerload and vehicles from the 
surface road network. It reduces surface vehicle congestion. It makes 
public transportation much quicker for a great bulk of the population. 
It leads to energy conservation. It also reduces air pollution. That is 
why most of the large and mega cities either have or are building a 
Metro system.

Recently I was in New Delhi, India and had a close look at the new METRO 
system they are building...

cont'd...
http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/feb/08/08022006op.htm

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