[sustran] Re: government is planning to restrict the movementof privatecars in Dhaka to reduce nagging traffic jam.

Lee Schipper schipper at wri.org
Wed Dec 22 15:24:09 JST 2010


Second Lloyd's concern. Informal carpools -- people who DO want to ride
from A to B and go with drivers who get special lane access with 2 or 3
in the car- are popular in the US. Would not at all e unusual for the
well to do to hire riders in Dhaka! Wish they would pay ME to ride in
San Francisco.

-----Original Message-----
From: sustran-discuss-bounces+schipper=wri.org at list.jca.apc.org
[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+schipper=wri.org at list.jca.apc.org] On
Behalf Of Lloyd Wright
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 2010 10:06 PM
To: 'Global 'South' Sustainable Transport'
Subject: [sustran] Re: government is planning to restrict the movementof
privatecars in Dhaka to reduce nagging traffic jam.

As the other commentators have noted, restricting private motorised
vehicles in Dhaka would be a highly positive development.  


However, the proposed mechanism would be problematic.  By requiring a
minimum of four passengers in a vehicle, a new industry would emerge
where individuals would be employed to ride in the vehicles for the mere
sake of meeting the quota.  The emergence of such street jockeys in
Jakarta has largely undermined its 3-in-1 programme.  In many cases,
students abandon school to be employed in this manner.

With regard to the new buses, this plan could also be problematic.
While certainly Dhaka's fleet needs to be replaced, simply purchasing
new buses will likely act to further deter the move to a BRT system.
The new vehicles will have the doors on the wrong side of the vehicle
for the BRT system, and thus will act as a wedge against a quality BRT
in the future.  

And given that the buses will have a life in the Dhaka context of 15 to
20 years, the impact on the potential BRT system could be fatal.  Would
it not be better to use the proposed investment in a system that fully
addresses all the components of a quality public transport system (e.g.
walkable access to stations, quality and secure stations, dedicated
lanes for public transport, and vehicles that are compatible with a
quality system)?
Furthermore, by operating in mixed traffic under the current conditions,
the "new" buses will largely be "old" buses within a few years.

Best regards,

Lloyd 

-----Original Message-----
From: sustran-discuss-bounces+lwright=vivacities.org at list.jca.apc.org
[mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+lwright=vivacities.org at list.jca.apc.org]
On Behalf Of Jonathan Richmond
Sent: Wednesday, December 22, 2010 6:50
To: Lee Schipper
Cc: UTSG at jiscmail.ac.uk; Kanchan; cartcdc at yahoo.com; car free;
NewMobilityCafe at yahoogroups.com; carfree at lifesupportproductions.co.uk;
Salil Bijur; WorldTransport at yahoogroups.com; Global 'South' Sustainable
Transport; Lloyd Wright
Subject: [sustran] Re: government is planning to restrict the movement
of privatecars in Dhaka to reduce nagging traffic jam.



I also read the story in today's newspaper. Please note, however, that
any attempt to restrict car movement in Dhaka's central city will
require a consensus throughout government and complex legal and
administrative procedures.

Regarding the buses, I have been developing BRT and general bus
reorganization programmes here to try to radically improve service
levels. However, now that consultants have been selected for a major BRT
implementation study, the government has decided not to extend my
contract -- hence my recent note to some of you to ask if any of you
have ideas for my next assignment!

General bus purchases are necessary because Dhaka's bus fleet is in
almost unbelievably poor condition. In fact, nowhere in the world have I
seen buses that are quite so dilapidated. The buses are driven
dangerously and there is very little maintenance. So getting something
new is a start. 
However, work needs to be done to find ways to encourage the industry to
maintain its fleet in better condition. There are financial and
organizational constraints to accomplishing this, and they need to be
overcome.

Best regards,

                           --Jonathan


On Tue, 21 Dec 2010, Lee Schipper wrote:

> Good news indeed but just buses without dedicated lanes? Who can move
under those conditions?
>
> Lee Schipper
> Global Met Studies  UC Berkeley
> Precourt En Eff Center Stanford
>
>
>
> On Dec 21, 2010, at 17:37, "Syed Saiful Alam" <shovan1209 at yahoo.com>
wrote:
>
>>
>> Dear all Good news for all our activist that  The government of
Bangladesh is planning to restrict the movement of private cars in Dhaka
to reduce nagging traffic jam.
>> "Private cars with less than four or five passengers will not be 
>> allowed
to ply the city streets," finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told
reporters at the secretariat on Tuesday.
>>
>> "We'll have to make public transport system more efficient for the
people," he said.
>>
>> He said they had approved a proposal to buy 255 buses to make the 
>> public
transport system more effective. "Public transport should be meant for
public but now a few people are creating anarchy in the field."
>>
>> The minister said: "Traffic jam is the biggest allegation against the
government.
>>
>> The cabinet committee on purchase has approved the proposal to buy 
>> 255
Korean buses for BRTC under EDCF loan of Tk 2.12 billion.
>>
>> Thanks
>> Syed Saiful alam
>> shovan1209 at yahoo.com
>> +8801552442814
>> Are private cars the ideal transport? www.dhaka-rickshaw.blogspot.com
>>
>>
>>
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-----
Jonathan Richmond
Public Transport Advisor
Dhaka Transport Coordination Board
Ministry of Communications
Government of Bangladesh
Nagar Bhaban, 13-14th Floor
Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh

Phone: +880 (0)1714 179013
Fax:   +880 (0)2 956-8892

e-mail: richmond at alum.mit.edu
http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/
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