But what we have in Dhaka is not traffic jam, it is total traffic chaos and mismanagement. In addition to pain, suffering and loss of life, road accidents have a significant economic and social cost (rehabilitation, healthcare, material damages, etc.) which are not easy to measure in monetary terms.Īll the megacities in the world suffer from traffic jam at certain hours of the day. Last year, around 7,397 people were killed and 16,193 others injured among the injured, 1,722 were maimed for life (The Daily Star, May 1, 2018). This year, between January 1 and April 20, 1,841 people were killed and 5,477 more injured. Every day at least 64 people are losing their life while 150 others are getting injured across the country. A survey by the Passengers' Welfare Association revealed that at least 87 percent of buses and minibuses violate traffic rules. Researchers say dealing with heavy traffic can cause serious physical and mental problems, including stress and aggression resulting in road rage. The financial loss is a calculation of the cost of time lost in traffic congestion and the money spent on operating vehicles for the extra hours.

Another study, commissioned by Brac Institute of Government and Development, says traffic congestion in Dhaka eats up around 5 million working hours every day and costs the country USD 11.4 billion every year. According to a World Bank report, in the last 10 years, the average traffic speed in Dhaka has dropped from 21 kilometres per hour (kmph) to 7 kmph, and by 2035, the speed might drop to 4kmph, which is slower than the walking speed.

Traffic jam has turned daily trips into nightmares. There was a time when commuters suffered traffic congestion only on the main city streets, but now it starts right from one's doorstep.

Huge traffic jam