Dhaka Urban Transport Project ( DUTP ) Study Report - I

The Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) Has been formulated based upon the recommendations of the Dhaka integrated Transport Study (DITS) and reflects most of the issues laid down in the Immediate Action Plan (IAP) of DITS.

DUTP-1. The first phase of the study had to update the DITS findings and to evaluate the technical, engineering, operational and economical aspects of the DUTP project components.

Increasing traffic demands and limited road space has resulted in traffic jams that reoccur with increasing frequency and duration.

Poor traffic discipline and unauthorised of uneconomic use of the scarce public space further lead to a poor performance of the traffic.

The indepth analysis by DITS, completed by DUPT-1 has resulted in the following main recommendations;

i . promote the operation of public buses through preferential treatment (bus only lanes, interchanges etc.). This because the bus is a far more efficient road user (in passenger equivalents) than e.g. car or rickshaw.
ii . provide for pedestrian only areas in the old city
iii . provide for an NMT main route network, with protected crossings of of over/under passes of the main arteries
iv . start segregation of NMT from MT where intensities exceed safety levels and introduce “MT-only” at the very high intensity major arteries and intersections improve the functioning of the major intersections and construct fly-overs at three locations.
v . improve the functioning of the major intersections and construct fly-overs at three locations.

vi . improve the existing truck stands on short term and consider relocation of central functions of the city of the fringe to case the traffic impact of heavy trucks on the Dhaka environment in the long term.
vii . develop a comprehensive parking policy with the required operational, administrative and legal framework.
ix . enhance the management and enforcement capabilities of the DCC, DMP and BRTA involved staff through specific training and provision of transport and equipment
x . provide adequate compensation and reinstatement elsewhere for the families, commerce and establishments affected by the project (PAPS)
xi . address in a broad context the environmental issues raised by the project.
These recommendations upon having been evaluated by the GOB and the IBRD preparation mission in March 1997 have resulted in a tentative DUTP program of US $ 158.5 million.

Dhaka Urban Transport Project ( DUTP ) Study Report - II

Dhaka, according to some observers, is a conurbation fast approaching mega-city proportion. A rapid population increase over the past decade, through natural growth and high rural-urban migration, has resulted in a situation where its transport services are no longer able to respond to the travel needs of its residents. This problem is in common with other deficient public sector services such as low cost housing, sanitation, waste disposal, supply of potable water and so on. Investment on private infrastructure, such as apartment buildings and office blocks, has outstripped the development of public infrastructure including roads and other transport facilities.

Development of the economy of Bangladesh will depend on it attracting a share of Global investment. Dhaka, as the nation’s gateway, for such investment, must be provided with a reliable, secure and comfortable transport system if it is to compete successfully with other major cities of the world.

Recognising the need for a substantial increase in investment in Dhaka’s transport sector, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) sought assistance from the World Bank (WB) to fund a program of improvements over a five year implementation period. This resulted in the Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) and agreement to fund pre-investment investigations as a basis for negotiating an investment loan in the second half of 1998.

DUTP Phase II Consultancy is a technical assistance project, within the overall context of DUTP, that was commissioned in mid 1997 to prepare detailed designs and bidding documents for a range of transport sector components. The intention being to call for bids from suitable contractors to implement the selected components when negotiations for the loan and successfully concluded, The terms of Reference (TOR) for DUTP Phase II consultancy required the preparation of an interim Report part way through the project. This Draft Final Report was prepared to incorporate work completed after submission of the Interim Report. It repeats material from the Interim Report where necessary for completeness.

Work on DUTP II started in August 1997. Components for inclusion in the packages for bidding in 1998 were identified through reference to work to an earlier technical assistance phase of the project (DUTP-1), discussion with appropriate agencies and observations of the consultant team. In summary, the list of components selected to proceed to detailed design and budding documentation included:

i . Three fly-over sites; Jatrabari, Mahakhali and Sonargaon junctions;
ii . Twenty intersections for channelisation and traffic control improvements;
iii . Three inter-district bus terminals (Saidabad, Mahakhali and Gabtali) to be upgraded through layout redesign, paving and drainage works;
iv . Three locations for construction of pedestrian over-bridges;
v . Some 40 kilometer’s of new footpaths along major arterial roads;
vi . Short links of new secondary roads to provide routes for non-motorised traffic (NMT) as alternatives to their current use of major arterial roads;
vii . Parking areas, auto free areas and measures to assist bus operations; and
viii . Upgrading of a road and river bridge to provide a bypass of Tongi.
 

Conceptual designs were prepared that can form the basis for “design and instruct” bids for the following infrastructure;
i . Five underpasses to provide routes for non-motorised traffic (NMT) to safely cross major arterial roads;
ii . Truck stands;
iii . Two inner city urban bus terminals; and
iv . A secondary road bypass for NMT’s, south of the Sonargaon Hotel, so that these vehicles can be banned from using the Sonargaon intersection;
In addition to preparing detailed design add bidding documents, the DUTP II TOR enquires the preparation of material that can be used by the WB to evaluate the GOB loan application these include :
i . An assessment of the economic viability of each proposed component and of the project as a whole;
ii . A strategy for addressing resettlement and compensation issues that may sarise from the implementation of engineering works
iii . An assessment of potential environmental impacts from the project and ways to mitigate adverse impacts; and
iv . A program of staff training and institutional strengthening for relevant agencies, including procurement of necessary equipment, to ensure that there is capacity within these agencies to successfully implement DUTP.
At the time of preparing this Draft Final Report, work was substantially complete on the preparation of detailed designs and bidding documents for project components as well as the associated studies. Details of these project deliverables are provided in Appendices that form Volume II of the report. Further refinement s may need to be incorporated to produce a final report when comments of this draft report have been received.

Having regard to the outcomes of the work of the project, the following actions are recommended.
a . That detail design and bidding documents be adopted for calling of bids for DUTP components.
b . That the GOB adopt and publicise a policy to move toward a transparent, competitive tendering system for the award of route operating contracts in which appropriate performance measures are the basis to select companies to operate services and to determine whether operating contracts should be continued.
c . That an industry-Gust committee be established to develop guidelines and procedures for the operation of inter District Bus Terminals after these have been rehabilitated through DUTP. This committee should also reach agreement on how the terminals will be operated during reconstruction activities.