Strategic transport plan

Such thinking when it comes to the issue of traffic congestion is long overdue. For too long successive governments have attempted to implement piece-meal and patchwork solutions that have simply not had the scope to accomplish what has been needed. As-hoc solutions to specific problems, such as building a link-road here and an overpass there, have done nothing to improve the deteriorating traffic situation in any meaningful way.

The STP will build upon the achievements of the World Bank funded Tk 900 crore Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) under whose auspices the Mohakhali flyover, among other undertakings, is being built. The DUTP project period is set to end in June but will reportedly be extended to the end of this year in order to finalise some unfinished projects. The STP, which will cost several thousand crores and is slated to be funded by the ADB and private investors, will, however, be even more ambitious and comprehensive a plan that is aimed at providing a long-term sustainable solution to the traffic crisis in the capital.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

It is relevant to point out that we need multi-storied parking lots in strategic locations like Gulshan, Motijheel, Malibagh, New Market, only to name a few, in order that some of the critical congestion can be soaked up. This would be a highly profitable venture for the private sector to come in a big way. Entrepreneurs should be incentivised to construct high-rise parking lots, if necessary, at the initial stages.

It is estimated that traffic congestion in Dhaka costs the country upwards of Tk 1000 crores a year in lost productivity. More importantly, if Bangladesh aspires to be a part of the modern global business community, then we must be willing to invest in the infrastructure that is necessary to bring us into the twenty-first century. Dhaka is one of the world's major metropolises and it is welcome news that the authorities are finally contemplating and implementing the kind of comprehensive measures necessary to help the city achieve its full potential.