Fuel consumption of transport sector: how the people of Dhaka City will be moving in the future?

Panel: Panel 6. Energy efficiency in transport and mobility

Author:
Shafiq Ur Rahman, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh and SusTRANS Bangladesh

Abstract

Even though Dhaka is one of the least motorized cities of the world, the rate of increase of vehicles in recent years is significant and consequently national consumption of transport energy in each year is increasing heavily. Except CNG all other fuel for motor vehicles in Bangladesh is imported from abroad, which drains large amount of money each year. Because of unaffordable and inaccessible public transport, most of the city dwellers are dependent on walking and rickshaw for their travel because there is not available any other accessible and affordable mode and some areas are served only by rickshaw. However, trip cost of rickshaw is much higher than bus. Despite these, national transport policies are more concentrated with MT where transport policy of Dhaka City reflects the negligence on NMT and there is no restriction on car use. Such an approach is completely inconsistent with the realities of transport situation and travel pattern of the city where about half of the city dwellers are below the poverty level and majority of the trips are either walking or NMT.

The projected population of the city is to be around 19.8 million by the year 2024 with an estimated person trips of 70 million per day will make the transport situation more critical. It is anticipated that despite the number of private car may rise, a great part of the population will remain dependent on public transport. Considering the socio-economic condition, existing transport system and travel pattern, possible future travel scenario, and future energy demand, transport of Dhaka City needs to move towards promoting NMT and energy efficient mass public transport and restrict small occupancy car use. Transport policy should be directed towards the environmental sustainability and affordability; thus need to promote walking and cycling along with low-cost mass transit or bus services accessible for all and restrict small-occupancy vehicles for efficient road use.