Transport System

In the area of urban transport, the Government’s strategy is to focus initially on the problems of Dhaka which is the largest and also one of the fastest-growing cities, and in the process, create a successful model in urban transport that can be replicated in other urban centers of the country. The Dhaka Integrated Transport Study and subsequent discussions with Government have highlighted the following elements that will constitute the urban Strategic Transport Plan (STP) for DMA (which will also set the tone for the other cities in the country):

(a) institutional reforms to ensure efficient urban transport planning, management and coordination with the city and regional land use planning;

(b) strengthening of the Dhaka City Corporation and other municipalities in the Greater Dhaka area to better manage transport services and projects;

(c) improving maintenance systems and cost-recovery;

(d) enhanced role for the private sector in urban transport services, under competitive market conditions;

(e) allowing multi-tier tariff systems, with free fare-setting for higher quality services (such as sitting-only, limited-stops etc.) and with fare regulation for ordinary services to ensure affordability for the poor;

(f) key role for the Government in undertaking public investments in critical common-user infrastructure facilities such as roads, traffic management improvements etc. and in providing an efficient regulatory system for safe, dependable services by the private sector meeting essential emission and environmental standards;

(g) developing a multi-modal framework involving all relevant modes i.g. waterways;

(h) developing an efficient bus-transport system by private sector as the main mass-transport mode for the near future, while studying other mass transport options for the long-term;

(i) ensuring a due role for rickshaws (which is pollution-free and which provides employment for about 0.5 million urban poor), as feeder services to bus transport and local services on non-main roads, by providing special facilities, while reducing their use on main arteries where they cause traffic congestion, integration of a circular water ways to promote peripheral passenger / good movements without crossing the central busy area as well as an option of recreational trips;

(j) enhancing pedestrian facilities by providing, for example, clear sidewalks and pedestrian bridges for safe crossings;

(k) addressing the transport needs of specific vulnerable groups such as women, garment workers and the poor; and

(l) addressing air pollution related issues by setting emission standards and monitoring of those.

(m) addressing all modes of City Terminals i.e. Inter District Bus Terminals, Central and other Railway Stations, River Terminals, Freight & Container Terminals etc. proposing management, development and future requirements.

 

Urban Transport Structure Priorities

Dhaka Integrated Transport Study (DITS) evaluated  transport priorities for the UAP period in line with their slogans for the next decade of "doing more with less" and "making better use of what we have rather than wishing for what we cannot afford or do not rally need".

The DMDP Structure Plan policies relating to the transport sector derive largely from the Greater Dhaka Metropolitan Area Integrated Transport Study (DITS), with which the DMDP Study team worked closely during the two years of DITS work period from March 1992 to February 1994. The DITS main findings and recommendations are contained in two volumes, Volume 1 focuses on an Immediate Action Plan (lAP), which recommended programs to be taken up by the appropriate transport sector agencies, mainly in the short-term for relatively low cost, but potentially high returns. Volume 2 focuses primarily on the strategic planning and long-term development of transport services in Metropolitan Dhaka. It is the recommendations contained in Volume 2 on which the policies presented in the DMDP Structure Plan are based.

In the short term (1995 - 2000), DITS gives priority to expanding and upgrading public transport services, meaning, most particularly, high capacity buses. Provision of better bus services will produce greater benefits than any other single measure. Traffic management measures rank second, with associated engineering work costed at  Tk.68 crore ($17m:). Institutional strengthening  ranks third.  All the priorities are management Intensive and have no spatial dimension beyond existing right-of-way.

Medium/Iong term (2000 - 2015) developments evaluated by DITS were:

- Off street walkways and pedestrian facilities;
- Upgrade Narayanganj branch line into a commuter railway;
- Upgrade interchange facilities at inter - district bus terminals for introducing city bus feeder routes;
- New road links especially east - west, and roads to service new urban land;
- Diversion of main railway line between Dhaka railway station and the international airport;                                    - Busway on any vacated rail right of way following diversion;
- Port development (jetties) alongside Mirpur Bridge and associated dredging;
- Bypass on the alignment of the Western Embankment;
- Port at Mogh Bazaar with associated khal upgrading, for water buses and cargo vessels;
- (Limited access) Eastern bypass;
- Upgrade waterways ring and selected khals;
- Dhaka - Jinjira road bridge (already under construction);
- Grade separated junctions at key intersections.

The long-term road and rail networks were developed jointly by DITS and DMDP Study teams, although ,the evaluations and pre-feasibility studies which DITS subjected these networks to were limited mainly to a medium-term timeframe of the DMDP Structure Plan to 2005.

The networks described in DMDP Structure Plan (refer: Urban Area and Transport Policies Map), may therefore be regarded as projections of those tested in DITS. As such, they attempt to give the longer- term context, illustrating a target end-state picture (at least to 2015) of what the networks might be by the end of the DMDP Structure Plan period. As stated in the proposals for the DMDP Structure Plan, Long-term Phase, 2005 to 2015, will themselves need to be scrutinized and ultimately, nearer the time, be subject to detailed project-by-project evaluation.

The policies and proposals presented in this Section in no way supersede or invalidate recommendations made by DlTS. Rather, they are complementary, and attempt to highlight those proposals which are central to the achievement of the DMDP Structure Plan's overall Spatial Development Strategy.

Road Development

The DMDP Structure Plan's long-term road development strategy is illustrated in Figure 5.3. The main objective of the strategy is to establish a long-term primary road network for the metropolitan area which will effectively serve the needs of the growing urban concentrations, by providing improved access to the main urban area itself and linkages to areas with potential for growth. As noted in Chapter 3, section 3.5, improved road communications will be used as a positive instrument for promoting urbanization in the growth areas proposed in the DMDP Structure Plan. This is an important consideration when evaluating the feasibility of the network and particularly its sequence of development, referred to later in this Section.

The main feature of the road development strategy is the construction of a limited access Dhaka by-pass, linking the Chittagong Road in the south-east of the metropolitan area to the Tangail/ Jamuna Bridge road in the north-west. It would essentially be the urban component of a national network of arterial roads as proposed in the Bangladesh Transport Sector Review (World Bank, 1991 ).

Although part of the Greater Dhaka primary road network, it would differ from the remaining network in that its main purpose would be to provide a national link (to Dhaka) rather than to provide for urban travel. Relative to Dhaka it might more accurately be described as a distributor road rather than a by- pass, as its main function for traffic with destinations in Dhaka would be to distribute that traffic along its eastern edge to the appropriate access points into the urban system. In this manner, the proposed eastern by-pass would relieve much of the presently overloaded urban network of inter-district movements, particularly those originating from the south which have to traverse the congested central area.

POLICY IN/1 - EASTERN BYPASS

The MPA will afford high priority to the development of a limited access Eastern By-pass to become a key link in the emerging national network of arterial roads and to relief the existing urban network.

It provides an arterial road through the Metropolitan Area as a key link between an upgraded Chittagong Highway and communications to the north-west of the country via Tangail and the new Jamuna Bridge.

MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION

Promotion

The early completion of a full feasibility study, design and reservation of a right-of-way and the full integration of necessary hydraulic works of the long-term flood protection and drainage strategy.

Implementing Agency: MPAI RAJUK, with RHD and BWDB

Controls

From the outset the eastern by-pass will need strict controls on adjoining land to ensure that high traffic quality is maintained. Such controls would include the following:

a. No direct access from adjoining properties, to avoid on-carriageway parking and servicing " .. no direct connections from lower order roads, access will be limited to possibly four intersections, subject to feasibility studies, which would link direct to Dhaka's existing network.

b. Avoidance of many of the potential problems which can afflict a high capacity road (eg;,Dhaka's existing Asian Highway) can be built in at the design stage, including:  grade-separated intersections; maximum intersection spacing (say, three to five kilometers);

c. use of parallel service roads as at Uttara (subject to the feasibility study and embankment design proposals)

d. adequate ROW reserve, etc.

Implementing Agency: As above.

The remainder of the proposed primary road network is best explained in terms of its phased development. As stated above, the complete network as illustrated in Figure  may be viewed as a target end-state network; a network deemed sufficient to serve the forecast 2015 population and activities as distributed according to the DMDP Structure Plan's Spatial Development Strategy.

However, as roads are seen as being one of the key determinants of the spatial pattern, it is how the end- state is reached and by what sequence of development which is of primary importance. The sequencing described below and illustrated in Figures 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 5.7, is divided into four timeframe of five years covered by the DMDP Structure Plan. Therefore, it is the progression towards the target end-state, rather than the timeframe which is key. If for resource reasons the timeframe has to be extended or, less likely, squeezed up, the sequence remains valid.

This is of particular importance, because the road development programme is not a stand-alone programme. It is initially connected to the long-term development programme of flood protection and drainage (refer: Section  below), and both are closely integrated with the land development programme which they are intended to promote and support.

Phase 1 . 1995 to 2000

Some of the network segments proposed for development in this first phase are already programmed or in the process of development. These are road projects being implemented by both RHD and RAJUK and most importantly include:

Under RHD

•  the Uttara-Dhamsona Link Road. across the Turag River floodplain,

•  the Narayanganj Link Road (otherwise called the DND Triangle Spine Road),.

•   the second bridge over the Buriganga River, linking Old Dhaka with Jinjira.

Under RAJUK, a number of links within the existing built-up area are proposed. Though not all primary roads. they represent key improvements to the existing urban, network. They include:

• Maghbazar-DIT Road, dual carriageway;

• Maghbazar, Tejgaon Link Road;

• Tejgaon Industrial Estate - DIT Road;

• Green Road! MirpurRoadLink(completed),

• DIT. 1 Roundabout, Gulshan to DIT Road,

• Malibag-Atish Dipankor Road,

• Darussalam Road to Bank Road;

• Darussalam-Shawrapara Road;

• Dayaganj-Jurain Link Road;

• Stargate-Notredame College Link Road;

• Kamalapur-Bangladesh Bank Link Road.

Additional to the above, the DMDP Structure Plan proposes the initiation of some other new links which will be the first steps in the establishment of the long-term strategic network. These are:

 1. a northerly extension of the DND Triangle Spine Road (the RHD road presently under development), from the Chittagong Road to the Demra Road,
2. a new north south distribution road west of the DND Spine Road connecting the Narayanganj Road via Chittagong and Demra Road northwards where it turns west to connect with the Moghbazar Road near the Central Railway station;
3. an Eastern Bypass Road (vide Policy IN/1) to connect the Dhaka-Chittagong Sylhet Road over the eastern embankment with the Dhaka-Tangail (Jamuna) and Dhaka-Mymensingh Road;
4. a northerly extension 9f the Begum Rokeya Road through the Mirpur Cantonment connecting with the Uttara-Savar Link Road now under construction by RHD [This road would allow  important westerly links from Uttara Model Town and Tongi. Its alignment and timing will need to be closely integrated with works now being planned under the FAP-8B Project] :
5. a northerly extension of the Begum Rokeya Road through Mirpur, to link with the Uttara- Dhamsona link road now under construction by RHD. This road would allow important westerly links from Uttara Model Town. Its alignment and timing will need to be closely integrated with works now being planned under the FAP-8B Project.
6.  two important links are proposed within the Dhaka Cantonment Board area which will improve east-west links to the existing network. these are the Mirpur-Cantonment Link Road (which will link also with the proposed northerly extension of the Begum Rokeya Road), and the Kachukhet- Banani Link Road, and
7. one final link, within the existing urban area proposed for this first phase is across the top of the old Airport, from Agargaon Road to the Shaheed Jahangir Gate junction on Airport Road. This would add an important mid-town east-west link to the existing network.

Phase 2 . 2000 to 2005

As part of the incremental development strategy, the roads described below {for initiation in this phase) will have been designed and their ROW reserved in the preceding phase.

1. The completion of the FAP 8A embankment works in this Phase, together with the integrated Eastern By-pass on the embankment, should coincide with the opening of the new Jamuna Bridge and upgrading of the Tangail Road. Though incomplete in parts, the Eastern By-pass, so extended, would be capable of providing relief to most of Dhaka's urbanized area;
2. Additionally, with the ongoing urbanization of the DND Triangle, the road, east of the DND Spine Road needs to be upgraded and a connecting road constructed from this road through the centre of the DND Triangle connecting with the Narayanganj Road.
3. The road west of the DND Spine Road is to be extended northwards (from the point where it turned to connect west) until it may connect with the ZIA airport. Western connections have to be made with the roads to the DIT 1 and 2 Circles and with the DIT-Tejgaon industrial Estate Road.
4. The road from the Central Railway Station with the above road is to be extended eastward to connect the Eastern By-pass, while the DND Spine Road may be extended northwards from the Demra Road to connect with this extension.
5. The Begum Rokaya Road is to be extended northwards connecting with the Eastern Bypass road thereby improving the links of West Dhaka with the north of the country.
6. The Uttara-Dhamsona link road is to have a branch road providing easy communications with Savar.
7. Subject to the outcome of a feasibility study, an access road has to be constructed connecting Moghbazar over the western embankment with the Old City.
8. On the abandoned railway track, an access road is to be constructed opening Kadam Rasul from the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.

Phase 3 . 2005 to 2010

By the end of Phase 3, with the Eastern By-pass completed in Phase 2, and improved internal east-west links completed in Phases 1 and 2, road development in this phase will be:

1. Upgrading the Dhaka-Savar / Dhamsona national road to enable urban development in Savar- Dhamsona.
2. Further extension north of the western spine road connecting (after turning west) with Uttara and onwards to the Begum Rokeya extension road.
3. An eastward extension of the Tejgaon-DIT road on the southern embankment of the Begun Bari Khal till it connects with the Eastern Bypass and a connection with the northern extension of the DND Triangle Spine Road.
4. A parallel east-west road connecting the western spine road with the eastern bypass on the existing embankment between the connections with the roads to the DIT 1 and 2 Circles. 
5. An upgrading of the regional road that would provide an improved connection of the Chittagong-Dhaka Road east of the Sitalakya River, with two main bridges crossing the Sitalakya and Balu rivers. Further upgrading of the Eastern Bypass to a national highway standard.
 6. A bridge crossing the Sitalakya River at Narayanganj will open up Kadam Rasul, coupled with a road connecting Narayanganj/Kadam Rasul eastwards with the Dhaka Chittagong highway.

Phase 4 - 2010 to 2015

The incremental road development programme will bring Dhaka island to the final stage of its urbanization. This should result in the following road developments:
1. Upgrading of the Narayanganj Road to meet the expected traffic over the Narayanganj bridge.
2. Southern extension of the Kadam Rasul access road.
3. Opening up of the northeast by connecting the western spine road eastwards at two locations' with the Eastern Bypass and construction of a central spine road from the DIT 2 Circle connecting road, east and northwards till it connects with the northern bypass connector road.
4. Completion of the Eastern Bypass as a national highway.

Development of Public Transport Services

DITS in its Transport Development Strategy (TDS) presents a list of six key projects distilled from their process of evaluation (refer: Appendix B). Of these, two projects relate to the development of public transport facilities, namely an expanded bus service and a commuter rail service.

A strategy for overhauling the urban bus service industry was provided in the DITS Immediate Action Plan, with strong recommendations that this is the most appropriate approach for Dhaka, particularly in the short-to-medium term timeframe.

POLICY IN/3 - BUS SERVICES

The MPA will seek to support and promote the expansion of Dhaka's bus services on the proposed in the DITS Immediate Action Plan.

REASON
This is the most appropriate and cost-effective means of upgrading the city's public transport services in the first half of the DMDP Structure Plan period.

MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION
Promotion and Control
For details refer to DITS Mid-Term Report, April 1993.

The MPA/ RAJUK's major input to the bus service expansion programme would be in the form of liaison with the major transport operators to apprise them of the likely impact on population distribution of the spatial development strategy and the resulting growth in demand in various sub- areas of the city.

DlTS devoted much time to the consideration of fixed-track mass-transit systems, as a long-term component of Dhaka's transport development strategy. Potential mass transit corridors were identified, based upon existing and projected passenger usage, which could in the future warrant heavy rail technology. Possible long-term commuter rail corridors were identified and evaluations of the upgrading of the existing line between Narayanganj and Tongi to an electrified commuter line,  were carried out.

Pre-feasibility studies suggested a first stage upgrading of the southerly section from Narayanganj to Karnalapur (Central Station) with further development involving the section from Dhaka central to Gazipur.

Based upon DITS identification of possible long-term commuter rail corridors, the DMDP Structure Plan has developed these into a possible long-term network, which is illustrated in Figure 5.8. Though clearly visionary at this early stage, it is included in the DMDP Structure Plan as an idealized system which would support and promote the proposed spatial development pattern. No timeframe can be put on such a network until further studies are under-taken, but a preferred sequencing to support the spatial strategy would be as follows:

•  First, as per DITS, would be the Narayanganj to Central section which would support the land development strategy of giving early priority to the accelerated growth of the western section of the DND Triangle;

• Completion of the upgrading of the existing line from Central Station, north to Tongi;

• Next would be the first of the new lines, the loop line Fatulla - Central Station.

• Followed by the loop line of highest 'Corridor passenger usage identified' by DITS on the route between Motijheel and Mirpur, connecting with the main railroad through the cantonment.

• Further development in the eastern fringe will be highly stimulated when the eastern loop is extended northwards to connect with the main railroad near ZIA Airport.

• Similarly, an extension of the western loop northward would strongly promote development in Harirampur and when connected. with the main railroad in Uttara, it would strongly enhance development of Uttara.

• Further extensions need to be identified when the urbanization has taken place and new developments are moving outside the Dhaka Island.

POLICY IN/4 - COMMUTER RAIL NETWORK

The DMDP will support and promote the development of along-term commuter, rail network, to serve the, high density sections of the main urbanized area.

REASON
It will ensure that Dhaka, at the end of the DMDP Structure Plan period of 2015, with a likely population of some 15  million (twice the size of present-day London), has the beginnings of a mass transit system capable of easing the pressures on a road network which will experience inevitable and growing congestion throughout the DMDP Structure Plan period.
 

MEANS OF IMPLEMENTATION
Promotion

• The commissioning of a detailed feasibility study of the service corridor between Tongi and Narayangan to identify a feasible alignment and a more detailed cost-benefit analysis than was possible under DITS;
•  For the remainder of the network, a long-term review of the potential network including future feasibility studies is required to identify a possible development programme.

Implementing Agency: MPA/ RAJUK, in liaison with the relevant transport operators and potential funding agencies.

Controls
Reserving identified alignments, and in liaison with land owners and developers, identifying new station sites, and where necessary, preparing guidelines for redevelopment.

Implementing Agency: MPA/ RAJUK

The road and rail development proposals summarised above clearly do not represent a comprehensive transport policy for Dhaka. There is no reference to the infrastructure required to support a rationalized and upgraded bus system nor that required in support of a continuingly important water transport service. These infrastructlire elements, though important, are at a less than strategic level of planning and where relevant, will be incorporated into the transport service provision indicated in the DMDP Urban Area Plan to 2005.

INTEGRATED TRANSPORT NETWORK PLAN FOR METRO DHAKA (1995 - 2015)
Transportation would playa major role for Dhaka's growth both for the structure plan strategy and also for the alternate options. At this moment Dhaka is one of the least motorized cities in the world. Non motorized movement is dominant in the intracity transportation. The proportion of all travels by motorized vehicle is low. Dhaka integrated Transport Study estimated 66% of all work trips are on foot, 11 % by rickshaw. Public transport is poor and disorganized with limited coverage and non motorized transport is inadequate for long distances. Mobility levels are low and consequently dwelling areas remain in close proximity to the workplace.

The average work trip has a size of eleven. minutes only. Without major transport changes, in future -most of the population would live near to work. Institutional/ regulatory framework and low enforcement tendency, everything lagging behind the current needs. The road hierarchy is poorly established and most new development is taking place without any coherent road system. As population grows and as traffic density increases. accessibility will deteriorate. With every new phase of peripheral growth, specially in the east, the ability of such fringe areas to function at levels of even minimal efficiency are increasingly compromised. Planning and safeguarding assess to rapidly growing area-" must be prioritized. To boost up the peripheral and satellite expansion and to ease transportation problems of the urbanized areas infrastructure scheme for 20 years time frame has been prepared by the DMDP Project Management Cell. The scheme for the aforesaid period has been phased as :

Incremental Network Development:

In pursuance of the proposed long term road network the authority will seek to promote an incremental approach to its overall development as a means of conserving resources and being responsive to proven demand for the service being offered. All proposed activities for road construction is phase out.

Eastern By Pass:
The Authority will afford high priority to the development of a limited access Eastern By pass to become a key link in the emerging national net-work of arterial roads and to relief the existing urban network.

Commuter Rail Network:
In the long term strategy Commuter Rail Network will promote the development of commuter rail network, to serve the high-density sections of the main urbanized areas.

Subway Development Program:
There is no other way to ease the traffic flow and mass transit of future Dhaka but to have SUBWAY. The proposed subway lines will cover Jatrabari to Gabtoli, Jinjira to Mirpur, Madani Avenue to Mirpur Road (Beauty Cinema Hall), Fulbaria to Madartek, Gabtoli to Jahangirnagar University, Multi-modal Transport Terminal to Mirpur Road and Farmgate to Asadgate.

Water Transport Development Program:
Navigability of the encircling water-ways will enlighten the old heritage of Dhaka and enhances the riverine recreational facilities in a great way. It has been prepared to efficiently utilize the natural opportunities with a view to:

• Developing  navigability of the encircling waterway;

• Developing intercity water transport system;

• Disperse Traffic loads of water transport;

• Reduce congestion in the Old Dhaka.