Potential of ICT in managing service related travel demand in Bangladesh

Abstract

This study was aimed at exploring the way of harnessing the potentials of Telecommunications or ICT in managing travel demand and thereby to solve a part of the existing transportation problems of Bangladesh particularly of Dhaka city, by reducing or converting existing physical trips to Fuel Free electronic trips, by shifting peak period trips to off-peak period trips and by eliminating unnecessary physical trips with the introduction of contactless services. The investigations have been made on different public and private education, banking and utility or service sectors. The evaluations of reducible or electronically convertible trips were made considering both short and longterm basis. The study discovered that the existing ICT scenario of Bangladesh is not as ailing as it was even before few years. TeJedensity has reached to 18, internet users have reached to about 35 lacs. About 85 percent government offices have internet connection and overall 60 percent offices have websites. ICT enabled services are also expanding fast, though mainly by private initiatives. From the investigation, it is unveiled that every year 63 million trips are made for admission into Dhaka city schools, colleges and universities or equivalent institutions. This amount can be reduced by about 26 million (42%) to 44 million (70%) trips by making the admission system ICT enabled. Among 18,000 daily peak hour person trips (including 56% individualized and 44% bus trips) that are observed to take place to and from Dhaka passport office, nearly 63 to 75 percent can be converted to e-based Fuel Free (FF) trips by availing on-line facilities. The analysis revealed that everyday about (monthly average) 212,000, 118,000 (including 71% within Dhaka city) and 27,000 physical trips are generated in DESA and DESCO, TGTDCL, and DWASA franchised areas for various purposes like for bill payment, bill serving, new connection, and other services. Of these trips, about 77 to 98 percent, 78 to 99 percent, and 72 to 98 percent are estimated to be converted into e-based FF trips in these three sectors respectively, if existing ICT facilities are effectively explored and if the same are exploited with deliberate planning. Data analysis appeared that BITB clients daily made around 46,000 physical trips including 30,000 trips in Dhaka city for the purpose of bill payment only. Introduction of various secured on-line payment modes with restriction on contact service would shift almost all these peak period trips to off peak period trips. It is estimated that daily about 2.4 million trips are made to and from different branches of Banks within Dhaka city. This amount is estimated to be reduced or shifted (peak to off peak period trips) by 40 to 90 percent with the adoption of safe and reliable on-line banking services. The system analysis revealed that about 88 to 100 percent government recruitment related trips can be converted into FF electronic trips by making application FornlS available on internet for fill up and submission and by the provision of on-line payment or omission of payment, which are being practiced by few private entrepreneurs since recent past. It is found that on average daily 22,000 patients making 176,600 person trips for different medical tests to 25 renowned diagnostic centers of the city. This includes 131,000 person trips (74%) for pathological test, of which nearly 50 percent can be eliminated by sending the reports through the e-mail addresses of the patients or doctors. Almost all long distant passengers of AC or Volvo coaches buy their tickets earlier making a fresh trip. Data analysis also shows that more than 90 percent GMG passengers and 50 - 60 percent Biman passengers make fresh trip to buy the tickets. Introduction of secured on-line payment system would convert almost all these trips into e-based FF trips. Random field surveys in other places like Secretariate, Sikkah Bhaban, Raj uk, City Corporation, NBR offices discovered abnormal concentration of visitors significant numbers of whom would be reduced with the effective employment of ICT. Many officials particularly government officials including the labor associations are observed to remain comfortable with the present system. Clients are found not satisfied with the existing on-line services particularly with the use of telephone facilities of mainly government and autonomous institutions or organizations. They are also found not aware about the transportation benefits of on-line services. However, when transportation benefits were explained and stated to them, almost all of them expressed their readiness to accept the system provided the system has to be made user friendly as well as maintained properly. It is observed that mere introduction of on-line system (contactless service) along with existing manual (contact service) would not produce the desired results unless the manual system is eliminated by imposing regulation and unless mass awareness and publicity campaign are undertaken. Besides, if transportation aspect is considered as one of the reason for introducing on-line services, then the ICT based travel demand management program (reducing or shifting some of the physical trips to electronic trips or to off-peak period trips) would get momentum. In this study though travel demand management aspect of ICT is particularly emphasized, it has many other benefits like reduction of traffic accidents, reduction of fuel consumption, improvement of environmental quality, bringing disadvantaged people into mainstream jobs, allowing paperless administration, currency less economy and placeless job. Another important objective of developing ICT as a quasi-transport is to maintain people connectivity in case of inclement weather, disasters, or oil supply interruptions. Finally, to make use of ICT popular among all people with a view to harness the potentials of ICT in managing travel demand in Bangladesh necessary recommendation are also proposed at the end of this paper.