Though seven flyovers and overpasses have been built in the capital in a bid to find a solution to its nagging traffic congestions, Buet experts think these mega structures will fail to achieve the main objective and those turn into big burdens within years. They bemoaned that when many countries are dismantling their flyovers across the globe, Bangladesh is building the big structures in an unplanned way narrowing the main roads and spending the taxpayers’ billions of taka. Three experts of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) said the flyovers never could reduce tailbacks anywhere of the world as those only aggravated the situation within years of building amid the increase in the volume of private and small vehicles. They said the traffic gridlocks can be reduced by ensuring the better use of the existing rods, rail and water ways with well-thought-out plans and projects without building flyovers and overpasses. “A flyover can’t be a solution to traffic congestions. No country in the world could solve traffic jam problem by constructing flyovers as it only give a boost to the number of private vehicles,” said Dr Mohammad Shamsul Hoque, a professor of Civil Engineering Department at Buet. Mentioning that the country’s flyovers have not been constructed in a planned way taking the opinions of the experts concerned, he said these mega structures are not only waste of money but also an irreversible damage for the city. Dr Shamsul Hoque, also a transport expert, said tailbacks could have been reduced significantly without building flyovers if only a dedicated lane for public bus was set up in the spaces of the city roads that the flyovers’ big pillars occupied. He also thinks the government might have got interested in building flyovers to project its big development before people as flyover is wrongly perceived as an emblem of development. Dr Sarwar Jahan, a professor of Urban & Regional Planning (URP) Department at Buet, said, “It’s a wrong approach to consider flyovers a solution to traffic jam. We need to focus on ensuring the better use of our roads, waterways and railways to resolve the vexing traffic gridlock problem.” Besides, he said, the government should come up with a strong traffic demand management policy. “Demand management is a better solution than increased supply. Building a flyover is a supply solution and it would create its own demand. The more the number of vehicles will increase the more it will aggravate the traffic problem.” The Buet professor observed that flyovers are largely helping private cars and small vehicles avoid traffic jams for a limited mileage. “But people who travel a short distance of path in public transports don’t use the flyovers. Besides, the entry and exit points of the flyovers are not easily accessible for traffic, resulting in gridlocks at those points.” Dr Sarwar Jahan said the authorities should first identify the main reasons for traffic jams and then it will have to address those in an effective way. “We’ve have been saying for the last 15 years that flyovers can’t be a solution to tailbacks, but the authorities concerned aren’t paying heed to it. Now we’re using the 1st floor for traffic destroying the ground floor. Flyovers may ease traffic jam for some years, but ultimately these big infrastructures will become big burdens for the city with the raise in the number of private vehicles,” he observed. He alleged that the flyovers and overpasses are shrinking the scope for the mass transit system like Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) that are crucial for alleviating traffic congestions. Dr Mohammad Shakil Akther, an assistant professor of URP department of Buet said, “All over the world, there is a growing consensus against flyovers. Flyovers are not only an eyesore but also the symbol of failure to curb traffic congestions. In Seoul, Bangkok and Tokyo many flyovers have already been dismantled.” Shakil Akther also thinks the contractors, engineers and bureaucrats are the main beneficiaries of the mega projects of flyovers, not the country’s common people. He said the government need to take some drastic actions to resolve the traffic congestions instead of building flyovers. “The long term solution is to decentralise so that people do not need to come to Dhaka. In short term we have to take radical measures to control use of cars and land in Dhaka and we have to introduce Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) and promote non-motorised transport.”—UNB, Staff Writer
