Dhaka Flyovers an ‘Irreparable Damage’: Experts

As the building of flyovers in the city was an ' irreparable damage ' to the region, civic analysts called for proactive steps to be taken instead of wasting tremendous money on such megastructures to boost the traffic situation.

While flyovers were constructed in the capital to offer its citizens a sigh of relief from nagging traffic jams, no significant improvement in the overall traffic situation is yet to be seen.

Contacted, Prof. Dr. Md Shamsul Hoque of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) Department of Civil Engineering said the building of flyovers in the city to alleviate traffic congestion is "irreparable damage." "Ultimately, the flyover-centered treatment of traffic congestion in urban areas is not successful. It is a destruction which is irreparable, "he added.

He said large projects such as flyovers were launched in the heart of the city to relieve traffic jams without interacting with experts, and all of these have now proved ineffective.

In response to a question, the urban expert said the condition won't improve even after the Metro Rail scheme has been introduced. "I am in doubt that traffic will be manageable here after 10 years after the completion of the Metro Rail project," he said, adding that it is necessary to restrict the use of small vehicles such as auto-rickshaws, human haulers and rickshaws on main roads.

He stressed the immediate replacement of current minibusses and microbuses with double-decker ones to alleviate the traffic burden, improve transport capacity and ensure better road use.

While flyovers were constructed in the capital to provide a sigh of relief from heavy traffic to its citizens, their escape points have now turned out to be infamous points of traffic chaos.

City residents experience severe traffic congestions every day at the exit points (down ramps) of all of the capital's flyovers. Particularly from 9 am to 10:30 am, and from 6 pm to 8 pm, the condition is becoming severe.

The traffic police also admitted that the flyovers landing points will remain chaotic unless there is an increase in the number of public transports and the implementation of Metro Rail and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects.

Visiting Gulistan-Jatrabari Flyover, Mouchak-Moghbazar Flyover, Mohakhali Flyover, and Banani Flyover, this correspondent noticed serious traffic jams at all of them exiting locations.

While traffic congestion eased below flyovers such as Mouchak and Moghbazar at some stages, it moved to its exit points such as Bangla Motor, Sarasota, Wireless Gate, Malibagh Chowdhurypara, Shantinagar, and Rajarbagh;

Likewise, traffic congestion has decreased under flying at Mohakhali Rail Crossing, Kuril Biswa Road Crossing, Sayedabad, and Jatrabari Crossing but Mohakhali Flyover exit points such as Jahangir Gate and Banani Chairman Bari and down Gulistan-Jatrabari ramps Flyover points such as Gulistan and Janapad Road and Chankharpool are facing traffic congestion during peak hours — both in the morning

Urban expert Prof. Nazrul Islam said that only Kuril Flyover has proven to be effective in reducing traffic congestion, but other flyovers have largely been inefficient and are most efficient in rapidly crossing tracks.

According to Prof. Nazrul, also a former chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the traffic situation is gradually getting worse due to an increase in the city's population and a number of small vehicles, and lack of effective control measures.

He said traffic jams can't be reduced without increasing the number of public transports and maintaining better traffic control.

The urban expert also said that all mass transit-related projects proposed in the Strategic Transit Plan (STP) for Dhaka need to be initiated with the highest priority to boost the traffic situation. "The traffic situation could be changing to some degree when the Metro Rail project is finished," he added.

The effectiveness of the city’s flyovers is very limited as the road capacity is very less compared to the number of small vehicles, he said. “It’ll take around 10 years to complete all the Metro Rail and STP projects.”

Prof Nazrul Islam stated that the STP stipulates rendering roads and intersections more accessible, taking buses under the franchise system, imposing traffic rules and restoring order in the transport sector.

Additional Commissioner (Traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Mofiz Uddin Ahmed said that, due to the increased number of vehicles, traffic congestion is generated at every downhill flyovers during pick-up hours-morning and evening.

Huge vehicles move in two lanes beneath and above a flyover simultaneously, he said. “When vehicles reach exit points, the onward roads turn into a bottleneck and thus severe traffic congestion is created,” he said, adding that the situation might improve on completion of the Metro rail and STP projects.

Another traffic police officer, choosing anonymity, said that the condition will not change even when the Metro Rail programs are finished unless the number of vehicles in the streets of the city is limited.

He also said on completion of the subway rail and STP ventures the number of vehicles will grow further in the region. "Yes, the case could be unchanged."

Source: UNB