Study on road pricing options in the context of traffic .problems in Dhaka City

Abstract

Dhaka is the administrative capital and commercial center of Bangladesh. The demographic trends of the last decades have resulted in rapid population growth which is expected to continue in the coming decades. As the road facilities have not been developed in the same pace of population growth producing resultant effects of delay and concentrated vehicular emissions. From the baseline analyses, it is revealed that in 2005, the road network of Dhaka city carried traffic volume 4.38 times higher than its capacity and in 2025 the network will have to bear peak period travel demand almost 7 times higher than its capacity. In 2025 travel time in Dhaka city will increase 40% more than that of 2005. If Tk 5.00 congestion charge would be imposed on motor vehicle. for entrance in CBD during peak period, travel time within the CBD would be reduced by 28% alld 60% for the year of 2005 and 2025 respectively as compared to the baseline situation. Results of the analysis further reveals that if TkJO.OOwould be-imposed on motor vehicle for entrance in CBD, travel time within the CBD would be reduced by 9.62% and 63.36% for the year of 2005 and 2025 respectively as compared to the baseline condition. Moreover, in the case of Tk15.00 congestion charge, travel time within the CBD would be reduced by 9.62% and 63.36% for the year of 2005 and 2025 respectively as compared to the baseline situation. Furthermore, in the case of Tk50.00 congestion charge, travel time within the CBD would be reduced by 44.96% and 64.08% for the year of 2015 and 2025 respectively as compared to the baseline situation. Besides, in the case of Tkl 00.00 congestion charge, travel time within the CBD would be reduced by 57.99% and 67.09% for the year of 2005 and 2025 respectively as compared to the baseline situation. Analyses also reveal that the overall network performance of Dhaka city could not be significantly improved through imposing congestion charge alone as there is no alternative option available for the captive users to change their mode. But after the introduction of BRT system in Dhaka city, the total peak period vehicle-km travel demand would be reduced by 26.10% and 19.36% in the year of 2015 and 2025 respectively as compared to the baseline situation. As a result of reduced vehicle-km travel demand due to the introduction of BRT system in Dhaka city, the emission rate of sax would reduce by 54.13% and 16.89% in the year of 2015 and 2025 respectively. For the case of NOx, the emission rate would reduce by 55.33% and 16.98% in the year 2015 and 2025 respectively. In the case of CO, emission rate would reduce by 51.33% and 16.64% in the year of2015 and 2025 respectively as compared to the baseline condition. Again after the introduction of MRT system in Dhaka city, the total peak period vehicle-km travel demand in network would be reduced by 27.44% for the year of 2025. As a result of reduced.vehicle-km travel demand due to the introduction of MRT system in Dhaka city, the emission rate of sax, NOx and CO would reduce by 42.33%, 42.04% and 41.70% in the year of 2025 respectively as compared to the baseline scenario. After the introduction of BRT or MRT system, the overall motor vehicular travel demand in the Dhaka city road network would significantly reduce because significant portion of travelers may change their traveling mode and switch from motor vehicular mode to the BRT or MRT system to avoid the excessive traveling time.