Mass Transit System in Dhaka City Outline Background Importance of mass transit system (MTS) Optimum MTS Existing MTS in Dhaka Key problems Road Rail Towards a state-of-the-art MTS Issues and challenges 2 1
Importance of Mass Transit Established worldwide as an effective measure to reduce congestion Space efficient Energy efficient Equitable Sustainable Optimum MTS Accessible Reliable Affordable Efficient Sustainable 2
Attributes of a Well-organized MTS Route plan Well-planned routes Single player / route Integration with other modes Fixed schedule Minimum dwell time Simultaneous and quick boarding and alighting Priority Exclusive right of way and signal priority Land-use pattern Transit oriented development Demand responsive Frequency, size and capacity Existing MTS in Dhaka 6 3
Overview Main road based public transport modes Bus Double decker Single deck large bus Minibus Collective transport (staff bus, school/college/university bus) Rail Supplemented by para-transits Tempo/maxi Auto-rickshaw Taxi Rickshaw Overview of Bus System A small proportion of vehicle numbers : 11.5% Carry about 77% of people 1 Occupy 4.4% of road space 2 Between 1995 and 2006 Number of buses increased by 137.29% 3 Number of mini buses increased by 23.02% Total number of main routes Route length < 200 km Sources: 1 STP 2004, 2 DITS 1994, 3 BRTA 2007 4
Existing MTS: Modal Comparison (2) Mode Average route length Average travel speed (km/hr) Average Boarding (Passenger) Passload at max. point Average Stops Double 17.81 17.22 100.76 83.71 13.67 Decker Large bus 14.7 13.7 89.6 44.9 12.3 Private bus 13.5 20.9 44.4 43.4 7.8 Mini bus 20.12 17.14 79.27 39.1 16.56 Source: STP 2004 Key Problems 1. Land-use and roadway deficiencies 2. Operational weaknesses 3. Vehicular and infrastructural deficiencies 4. Institutional limitations 5
1. Land-use and Roadway Deficiencies Limited roadway space Not more than 9% Lack of accessible road Only 107km > 24m width Land-use Absence of East-West connector roads Built in bottle-necks in the planned routes Inadequate number of bus bays and other facilities (e.g. covered bus stops, transfer facilities) 2. Operational Weaknesses Route plan Deficient route plan Fragmented ownership Absence of fixed schedule No passenger info Mixed operation with no priority for MTS No separate right of way or signal priority Uncontrolled side friction Personnel training Safety issues Enforcement issues 6
Existing Bus Route Enforcement Issues Fare discrimination False driving license Illegal parking 7
4. Institutional Deficiencies Main players Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) Rajdhani Unnayan Katripakkha (RAJUK) Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Other players Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Department of Environment (DOE) Bangladesh Railway (BR) 4. Institutional Deficiencies (2) Distinction of responsibilities/jurisdictions often unclear/overlapping DCC-RAJUK DCC-DTCB No coordination No cooperation 8
Rail as Urban Transport 10 existing stations North (Tongi-Kamalapur) 23 km 16 at grade crossings Good track condition Carries minimal local traffic South (Narayongonj-Kamalapur) Primarily devoted to local traffic Fair track condition 20 passenger trains/day Grossly underutilized Towards Tangail/ Mymensingh Towards Narshindi/ Bhairav Key Problems Significant speed reduction At grade crossings Due to side friction No initiatives to increase ridership 9
Towards a State-of-the-art System 19 Vision How do we want to see the urban transportation system of Dhaka City in 2020? An automobile prioritized system with thousands of cars stuck in traffic for hours? OR A sustainable transport system with a strong mass transit network supplemented by other modes? 10
Proposed Strategic Transport Plan (STP) Blend of BRT and Metro 3 BRT lines 3 Metro lines (60 km long) Complemented by an extensive road development program STP Proposal for MTS 11
Issues and Challenges BRT will be difficult to implement in already built-up areas, particularly in central Dhaka Existing roads not wide enough Widening not possible Parts of Yellow Line in Old Dhaka Numerous bends Staggered junctions Issues and Challenges Over ground / elevated Metro will be also difficult to implement in central parts of Dhaka Is underground Metro the only solution for central and old Dhaka? How about underground BRT? Silver Line Boston, USA 12
Issues and Challenges Cut and cover method may not be applicable in heavily built-up areas Often no alternative routes to divert traffic during construction Boring/tunneling methods will lead to huge increase in cost of construction Figures: How about existing underground utility services? Gas, sewerage etc. No detailed data/map available showing utility services Issues and Challenges Construction Cost Comparison System Capacity Power $/km BRT* 5-35k CNG 5m LRT 5-15k Electric 20-30m MRT 20-60k Electric 50-150m Is it possible to finance the construction? Will the users be able to afford the fare? What is the current Willingness-to-pay and Value of Time? How about innovative financing? 13
Issues and Challenges Will the users be able to afford the fare? What is the current Willingness-to-pay and Value of Time? Can there be some form of innovative financing? Hong Kong Japan Issues and Challenges Underground systems will need uninterrupted power supply to ensure smooth operation Own power generation facility Institutional issues New agency for managing MTS? Coordination with other agencies 14
Issues and Challenges Can t we use the existing rail system for urban traffic movement? How can we make the routes more attractive? How do the costs compare with proposed new methods? Issues and Challenges How to integrate BRT and Metro with existing system? Must be complementary to other transit options Restrict route of traditional transit vehicles? Will there be enough incentive for car users to shift to transit? Carrot and stick approach? Carrot= Make MTS very attractive Excellent level of service: reliability, travel time Stick= Make cars more unattractive Parking restriction, car-registration fee increase etc. 15
Issues and Challenges Must be integrated with land-use plan Detailed Area Plan (DAP) currently under review by Advisory Committee Did not take into account possible transit development scenarios! Issues and Challenges MTS will involve huge investments Many of the options are irreversible processes Way to go before implementation! Need extensive investigation Supported by detailed data 16