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

[Colin Brader]

I would agree Karthik, BRT has a flexible definition and does not have to operate within the median. I believe that the form of BRT implemented should be dependent upon local user needs, appreciation of constraints and a bias to delivery. If there is investment in a significant bus fleet this becomes a context, if there is clear benefits in that fleet migrating into a BRT system - this can be achieved either through adopting a bi-lateral system - as we developed with LAMATA in Lagos Nigeria, or through physical medication to the buses themselves - as has been undertaken in Ghana. I don't know the detail of the circumstance in Dhaka but is current problems would benefit form a new bus fleet and this could be sourced it would seem that that benefit should not be stifled by the needs of an as yet undefined system that may or may not be delivered but is readily able to morph into a local user needs assessment. 

Regards
Colin Brader
Director
Integrated Transport Planning Ltd
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-----Original Message-----
From: sustran-discuss-bounces+brader=itpworld.net at list.jca.apc.org [mailto:sustran-discuss-bounces+brader=itpworld.net at list.jca.apc.org] On Behalf Of Karthik Rao-Cavale
Sent: 22 December 2010 11:40
To: Lloyd Wright
Cc: Global 'South' Sustainable Transport
Subject: [sustran] Re: government is planning to restrict the movement ofprivatecars in Dhaka to reduce nagging traffic jam.

"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."

I wonder, are BRTs the ends or the means of sustainable urban transport? It
is true that "classical" BRT systems have median bus stops with dedicated
buses, but these are not necessarily most appropriate for cities in the
subcontinent. But transportation planners in the subcontinent cannot afford
to be bound by dogma. Preventing a city from increasing its bus fleet just
because that would not work in favour of implementing a "classical" BRTS
sounds just absurd to me.

In India, and I suspect that this is true of Dhaka also, streets are often
too narrow for dedicated bus lanes to be possible. And yet buses do need to
ply on these streets if everyone is to be within reasonable distance of a
bus stop. So you do need regular buses. And if one seat rides are to be
possible, you need the same buses plying on the regular roads to also run in
the BRT lanes, if they exist. There are two ways of making that possible.
One is to have doors on both sides in buses. The other is to have bus stops
on the curb side of the bus lane rather than the median.

I personally believe that the BRT should be fully integrated into the city's
bus system, in which case the only option short of a complete turnover of
the bus fleet is to have curbside bus stops. This was precisely what Delhi
BRT did, and I think it is a good design.



On Wed, Dec 22, 2010 at 1:05 AM, Lloyd Wright <Lwright at vivacities.org>wrote:

> 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<sustran-discuss-bounces%2Blwright>
> =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/ <http://the-tech.mit.edu/%7Erichmond/>
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>
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