GREATER ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI AREA TRANSPORTATION STUDY (GIRATS) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Transcription

1 ATIOAL TRASPORT RESEARCH CETRE MIISTRY OF COMMUICATIOS GOVERMET OF PAKISTA GREATER ISLAMABAD/RAWALPIDI AREA TRASPORTATIO STUDY (GIRATS) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SEPTEMBER 1995 SCADIACOSULT COTRAS AB

2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Urbanisation is a powerful trend in Pakistan and one of the vital functions in a city is the urban transport system. It is essential that Pakistan possesses the techniques and skills necessary for efficient urban transport planning. The assistance provided to Pakistan by the Swedish Board for Investment And Technical Support (BITS) aims at the development of a domestic competence at the ational Transport Research Centre (TRC). The purpose of the present project is to set in motion an analysis and planning process of urban transport which should be permanent. The project work was carried out between August 1994 and June The present report, submitted in September 1995, documents this work and has also to a large extent been designed as a textbook to be used as reference for future planners. Transport modelling In urban transport planning, transport models play an important role. By analysing different land use - transportation scenarios, the planner can evaluate optional strategies as well as alternative detailed solutions. If e.g. a new road is being planned, it is possible to simulate the resulting changes in traffic flows and to evaluate the effect of the project before implementation. This improves the setting of priorities and reduces the risk of costly mistakes. Transport models require high computation capacity and therefore computers are essential tools in transport planning. In the present project, a specialised computer package, designed for urban transportation planning, has been acquired and mounted at the TRC. The use of this system should be a continuous exercise, and TRC staff have been trained for this purpose. Thus, in future planning in the GIRATS area, TRC now has access to the necessary techniques. Present land use and travel demand Information of land use and population characteristics is essential for urban transport planning. It is necessary to know where people live and work, what their socio-economic conditions are and how they travel. Such data form the basis for the detailed design of traffic infrastructure projects in the short term, and in the long term, they are essential in order to make predictions of future needs. The two urban areas included in the study area - Islamabad and Rawalpindi - are often referred to as "twin cities" but in reality have very different characteristics. The consultants have utilised available information and made the relevant estimations in order to describe the situation. It would have been very useful, though, if a more recent census than the one from 1981 had existed.

3 II D11 D10 E11 E10 E9 E8 E7 F12 F11 F10 F9 G13 G12 G11 G10 G9 H13 H12 H11 H10 H9 F8 F7 F6 11 G8 G7 G6 12 H8 ZERO POIT I12 I11 I10 I9 I COMMUTERS (ET) I OR OUT OUTGOIG COMMUTERS (ET) ICOMIG COMMUTERS (ET) > > Fig. 1 Area-wise net commuting 1994 The combined urban population has been estimated to about 1,650,000 and the number of economically active persons - forming the basis for the travel demand - to 415,000. Estimations of the movements from and to different zones have been made accordingly and are described in Fig. 1 above.

4 III Present road network and traffic situation The road networks in the two cities differ substantially. Islamabad is a planned city with an extensive road network laid out in a grid structure. Although there are several design shortcomings, the overall capacity of the system is not a basic problem. Fig. 2 Grid structure (Islamabad) Fig. 3 Spider net structure (Rawalpindi) In Rawalpindi, the road network is the result of an organic development and represents a spider net structure. Both the road standard and the general traffic environment is inferior to Islamabad, and here, congestion is common and increasing. A serious problem is the connection between the two cities which may be the result of an underestimation of the travel demand between them. ZERO POIT Fig. 4 The Islamabad/Rawalpindi road network

5 IV The presen t public transport system Public transport is always an important component of the total urban transport system. This is not least the case in cities like Islamabad/Rawalpindi where the access to a private vehicle is limited. The present public transport system is almost totally dominated by the private sector; only little remains of the services provided by the public sector. As in other countries, this presents both advantages and problems. Being non-subsidised, farebox revenues pay for the operations, and this implies that the system is not a financial burden for the cities. However, with fragmented services carried out by a large number of individually operated small vehicles, the system is not easily coordinated and not always efficient from an overall perspective. In its present shape, the public transport system can hardly be used as a tool to shape the total urban transport system - as for example in cities like Singapore or Curitiba. Directed towards "captive riders" without an alternative, it could be described as a "down-market system". The correct balance between the public and the private sector is a much debated subject all over the world when it comes to urban public transport. Today, it is generally agreed that a constructive model should be based on a combination of both. Thus, the public sector - the city - would have the responsibility for overall planning and supervision, while the role of private sector is to provide cost-efficient operations. A development along these lines is recommended for Islamabad/Rawalpindi and should be initiated by the formulation of an urban transport policy. Traffic safety and environment in urban areas The number of persons killed in traffic in Islamabad as related to the number of motor vehicles, is about ten times as high as in industrialised countries. Some of the main reasons are poor road design, bad drivers, and poor supervision due to insufficient training and resources of the Traffic Police. Improving traffic safety is a long term effort spanning over many different fields, and requiring good data and planning resources. Although much is needed in terms of changing the attitudes and awareness of the people - which takes a long time - there are many short term improvements which can be made in the design of roads, streets and intersections. A number of concrete proposals have been elaborated during the project. Immediate and short term traffic management actions One of the important aspects in urban transportation is not only access to adequate infrastructure in the form of roads and streets, but also the efficient use of such infrastructure. In the GIRATS project, a substantial effort has been directed towards practical, low cost traffic management projects which can be implemented with short notice and which can be very cost-effective. Examples include redesign of intersections, signalisation principles, design principles for bus stops, design of guard rails, etc. Examples of such schemes are described in chapter 7 of the report, and also various design principles are described.

6 V POLE WITH REFLECTIG MATERIAL C W L C 7.0 m 9.0 m W 3.5 m 4.5 m L 12.0 m 10.0 m Fig. 5 Two-sided carriageway narrowing - example This work has been done in close cooperation with the relevant authorities in the two cities and some projects have already been initiated. It is important that this kind of work continues as a permanent process. WP 16 WP 17 (See also Chapter 7.9.3) WP 27 WP 7 WP 18 WP 9 WP 8 WP25 ZERO POIT WP22 (See also Chapter 7.9.6) WP 15 WP29 WP30 WP24 (See also Chapter 7.9.4) WP23 (See also Chapter 7.9.5) WP28 WP15 Fig. 6 Key map for proposed traffic management actions

7 VI Long term scenario IHABITATS, MILLIO 3 2 GIRATS AREA 1 RAWALPIDI ISLAMABAD Fig. 7 Estimated population developments YEAR The population in the GIRATS area is estimated to reach 3 million around the year 2010, that is in 15 years from now. This estimation is based on a rather conservative assessment of present trends, and could well be surpassed. It is difficult to assess the percentage of economically active people, but the assumption is that this will not change dramatically during the time period. For Islamabad, the growth directions are fairly well defined within the framework of the planned area. For Rawalpindi, future development is less strictly defined, but it is anticipated that the main growth direction will be in the west. The planned bypass road will therefore be a useful project. Although the two cities will retain their specific characteristics, they are likely to develop more and more into a common labour market. This calls for attention to the connections between the two cities as well as within them. It is assumed that car ownership in Islamabad will continue to increase at a faster rate than in Rawalpindi, and over a year period it might reach the level of 200 cars per 1000 inhabitants. Even so, and more so in Rawalpindi, the majority of people will still have to rely on public transport. Urban traffic and transportation strategies In many developing cities throughout the world, traffic problems have accelerated to a stage where the problem is out of control. This is not due to lack of resources but rather to lack of clear policies and political determination. Pakistani cities now have the opportunity to study and learn from the experiences - positive or negative - of other countries and to formulate a development strategy well adapted to Pakistani conditions. Some of the aspects of the formulation of such a

8 VII strategy are described in Chapter 9. Basically, it is recommended that attention is given to the increase of car traffic so that restriction measures can be taken if necessary. But it is also essential that public transport, bicycles and pedestrians are given proper attention and not left out of the planning process. Future transport solutions The road and street network needs to be further developed in both cities. In Islamabad, however, it is mostly a matter of improved design and of solving some of the intersection problems which occur when avenues and service roads meet. In Rawalpindi, a road reconstruction plan (the "MM Plan") has been approved and should be implemented. Regarding the connections between the cities, the planned bypass will have a positive effect but there are also other important improvements to be made. For example, Khyaban-i-Sir-Saiyid should be designed as an efficient traffic distributor between the road networks in the two cities. ZERO POIT FAIZABAD RAILWAY MASS TRASIT LIE Fig. 8 Possible mass transit system configuration

9 VIII As for public transport, there appears to be a great interest in mass transit solutions, especially rail based systems, and some attention has therefore been given in the GIRATS project to the possibility of introducing such systems. Two optional future public transport systems have been discussed, namely i) a bus only system and ii) a mixed light rail system/bus system. It is important to realise, however, that the issue of public transport is not only a matter of different technologies but at least as much a matter of organisation and financing. Ultimately, if Islamabad/Rawalpindi wants a modern and attractive public transport system for the future, it is unavoidable that the public sector must be involved. It is unlikely that the private sector, through BOT schemes or otherwise, would be able or interested in providing a mass transit system. Urban traffic and transportation planning - work task and organisation A well functioning and efficient organisation for analysis and planning of urban transportation is essential. In particular, it is important that land use planning goes hand in hand with transportation planning since the two are closely related. Urban transport planning units should be established in the major cities in Pakistan, including Islamabad and Rawalpindi. However, since considerable time and resources will be required to accomplish this, it is recommended that the Urban Transport Wing at the TRC be further developed to form a centre for urban transport planning in Pakistan. The role of TRC could be to assist various cities with techniques and experience in order to maintain urban transport planning at a high professional level. Recommendations A list of recommendations has been prepared as the final chapter of the report. In the final analysis, of course, the problem of urban transportation must be dealt with by local authorities and decision-makers. This requires a permanent effort for analysis and planning of urban transport and many of the recommendations are formulated as guidelines for further planning which has to be the responsibility of Pakistani experts.