A DECLINING use of buses in the capital, largely because of no improvement in services, on part of users, and the absence of fresh investment, on part of operators, is worrying. Without an efficient and functional public transport system, the capital city stands the chance of getting out of the reach of the poor, low- and fixed-income people, forcing them to use expensive means for movement, when it comes to people鈥檚 mobility. And, in such a proposition, the number of small vehicles increases on the road. This, in turn, adds to inefficient road space use, higher than the buses do, creating congestion and putting a brake on the average traffic speed. It was reported that in a decade until about 2018, the average traffic speed in the city had dropped from 21 kilometres an hour to seven kilometres, slightly above the average walking speed. A survey that the government has conducted with plans to update the Strategic Transport Plan for Dhaka 2025鈥�2045 shows that the share of buses in daily trips in the greater Dhaka area registered a drastic decline in 14 years, with a commensurate decline in the number of buses on the road.
The survey reports 38.7 million daily trips in the greater Dhaka area to have happened in 2023. And, buses and modified utility vehicles account for 9.3 per cent of the transit. And, buses account for the highest percentage in the group that includes modified utility vehicles. A World Bank study of July 2014 says that the number of daily trips in the capital was about 21 million. The situation calls for more efficient use of buses, viewed as the best option in terms of road space occupancy. But people appear to be choosing not to use buses because of traffic congestion, harassment issues and the supremacy of private transport operators. Transport operations also appear to be choosing not to make fresh investments in the public transport sector largely because of traffic congestion, as a delay in trips means less earning, and harassment by traffic management personnel. The Road Transport Authority web site shows 36,264 buses registered in Dhaka until 2012 and the figure has now grown to 53,299 whilst there were 5,000鈥�5,500 buses in service in 2012 and the figure has now come down to 3,500鈥�4,000. Allegations also have it that the public transports run by the public agency have wilted over the years under the influence of the muscle-flexing private transport operators.
It is, therefore, time that the government shook off all its weaknesses to bolster the public transport system of the capital city. Any delay or failure in this would hamstring public mobility, making it an all-rich affair.
