2. 2 M. M. Hoque/ Transportation Research Procedia00 (2016) 000–000
1. Introduction
Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh with 1528 square kilometers and 15 million people, is the 9th
largest city in the
world. The urban transportation in Dhaka is facing considerable problems particularly severe congestion and safety
hazards due mainly to rapid urbanization, increasing population and motorization. The greater challenge thus for
transportation professionals is to develop a system of urban transport that meet the basic mobility needs for all urban
dwellers at desirable safety and avoiding the unacceptable level of congestion and its consequent overwhelming
adverse environmental effects. The main mode of vehicular transportation in downtown Dhaka is still non-
mechanized cycle rickshaws and walking is the most popular mode. The next important means of transport are
public buses. At present bus take a share of 30% of total travel and it is predicted that the modal share of the bus will
be rise up to 59%-62% in 2025 if the present condition prevails (JAICA 2014).
Various projects around the world have indicated that BRT is an effective alternative for congested cities at a
relatively low construction and operation cost. It is urged that Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has been seen as a "creative,
emerging public transit solution" which can be cost-effective in addressing urban congestion (Currie, 2006,
Levinson et al. 2003, U.S. General Accounting Office, 2001). Government has taken projects to revitalize the public
transportation of Dhaka and the projects consist of three Metro Rails and three Bus Rapid Transits (BRTs). It is
needed to examine the effectiveness of these BRT systems.
This study aims to produce a comprehensive review of the performance of different BRT systems around the
world. Authors will carry out the evaluation based on influencing performance indicators such as safety,
accessibility, environmental quality, and reliability. Extensive data analysis is carried out by graphical
representations, which elaborate performance comparison of different BRT systems. The study also discusses the
limitations associated with different BRT systems. Addressing those drawbacks, this paper in particular concentrates
to identify the operational aspects and pragmatic measures that should be considered towards promoting an efficient
and sustainable BRT system in Dhaka.
2. Existing Scenario of Bus Transportation in Dhaka
Despite the rapid growth of motorized traffic in Dhaka, non-motorized transport still remains the dominant mode
for the city dwellers who are mostly middle and low income groups. More than 70% of the city trips (see Table 1)
are served by walking and rickshaw (JICA,2014). The varied traffic mix and heavy concentration of non-motorized
vehicles with almost 70% of the available road space is occupied by rickshaws and their dominance is expected
continue in the foreseeable future (Hoque and Hossain, 2004). Currently, rickshaw movements are however
restricted to some major roads.
Table 1. Modal share in metro Dhaka
Mode
Percentage of Share
DITS
(1994)
DUTP
(1997)
JBIC Study
(1999)
STP
(2005)
JICA Study
(2014)
Walk 60.10 62.82 62.05 14.00 22-65
Rickshaw 20.10 20.04 13.28 34.00 11-34
Bus
12.8* 10.42*
10.22
44.0*
14-29
Auto -Rickshaw 5.83 2-5
Passenger car
7.0** 6.72**
3.97
8.00**
1-6
Others 4.65 3-4
Total 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
*Transit **Motorized (Non Transit) (Source: Hoque and Hossain, 2004)
There are 24565 buses and 10068 minibuses registered (as of February 2016) which represent only about 5%
(buses and minibuses combined) of total motorized traffic. Though the number of large buses remained nearly
constant, the share of bus fleet (buses and minibuses combined) has been in fact declining, due to decrease in
3. M. M. Hoque / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2016) 000–000 3
number of minibuses (Figure 1).
Figure1: Growth of Buses and Minibuses in Dhaka (Source: BRTA)
These characteristics together with heterogeneous traffic system and inadequate and poorly managed street
network resulted in enormous congestion throughout the city with decreasing level of service. The major problems
contributing to bus operation services are unregulated bus operators, overcrowded buses, poor route design, high
operating cost and poorly maintained fleet with limited investment. Safety hazards of bus operation are of serious
concern and buses are highly over-involved in crashes and casualties involving vulnerable road users (VRUs),
pedestrians in particular. Major factors contributing to fatal crashes caused by public buses are indiscriminate and
reckless driving of bus drivers, inappropriate speeding, risky pedestrian crossings, unsafe boarding and alighting of
passengers, unsafe behavior of road users, poor condition of buses and adverse road environmental condition.
3. Bus Rapid Transit in the context of Dhaka:
Revitalization of public transport is a core issue and also improving the quality of public transport, increasing
public transport capacity and thus relieving traffic congestion are urgent matters. There are several options in
addressing mass transit facilities like Busway/ BRT, Tram, LRT (Light Rail Transit) and Metros (Hoque and
Hossain, 2004). With relative advantages, BRT option is seen as an urgent consideration for Dhaka.
3.1 The Place of BRT:
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a bus based transit system which allows higher speed, improved capacity, and better
bus safety by segregating buses from other roadway traffic into a separate busway (Levinson et al. 2003). BRT
system is not only cost effective it also provides high quality, high-performance transit. Another highlighting feature
of BRT is, it is a combination of the benefits of light rail transit with the flexibility and efficiency of Bus transit.
Because of low cost and relatively fast implementation time, developing countries with high transit-dependent
populations and limited financial resources have increasingly attempted the use of BRT system.
3.2 Features of BRT Line 3 in Dhaka:
BRT line 3 has divided into two phases, one from Gazipur to the Hazrat Shahjalal(R:) International Airport and
another from the Hazrat Shahjalal(R:) International Airport to Jhilmil.The BRT Line 3 corridor from the Hazrat
Shahjalal(R :) International Airport Railway Station to Jhilmil features the following:
Total length of 22.4 km
16 stations with an average distance between stations of 1.49 km
Stations are located as close as possible to other relevant transport terminals,
Stations have also been designed to ease connections with the conventional bus network and soft transport modes
networks (cycle rickshaw, bicycle and pedestrian).
3.70
2.79 2.62 2.31 2.45
2.89
4.20
2.09
0.25
0.22 0.20 0.24 0.13 0.15
5.79
3.04 2.84 2.51 2.69
3.03
4.35
0.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
Upto 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016-Feb
%oftotalMotorised
Vehicle
Bus Minibus Bus & Minibus
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4. Review of Performance of different BRTs
To date, more than 150 cities have implemented some form of BRT system worldwide, carrying around 28
million passengers each weekday. At present, BRT systems world- wide comprised 280 corridors, 4,300km of
routes, 6,700stations and 30,000 buses (BRTDATA.ORG). A BRT system is custom built to the needs of the city
and no two systems are identical. For review purpose, 12 different BRT systems were considered and the overall
performance of these BRT systems is summarized below:
4.1. Travel Time Savings
A Properly designed and implemented BRT system can save many travel time. Implementing BRT elements such
as level platforms, raised curbs, improving vehicle configurations, and additional doorways for boarding and
disembarking can result in reduced station dwell time (that is, the time the vehicle must spend waiting at a station
for all passengers to board and exit), which can comprise as much as 30% of total travel times for transit (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Travel Time Reductions by Different BRTS
4.2 Improvement of Environmental Quality
BRT reduces the overall amount of vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) in a city by shifting commuters to high-
capacity buses. Fewer vehicles transporting the same amount of passengers reduce traffic congestion and present the
opportunity to replace older, more polluting vehicles. The incorporation of modern fuel efficiency technologies into
BRT buses and better driver training can also contribute to lower fuel consumption and emissions. These cleaner
vehicles and fuel technologies lower the concentration of ambient air pollution citywide and inside BRT vehicles
(Figure 3). Passenger exposure to air pollution at stations or inside buses is further reduced by shorter travel times,
meaning cities have a major opportunity to reduce local air pollutants by implementing BRT systems.
Figure 3: CO2 Emission Reductions by Different BRTs
40%
29%
55% 50%
2.40%
10.80%
65%
40%
32%
80%
BRT-lite[1] Guangzhou BRT[2] Tehran BRT[1] Trans Jakarta[5] Bangkok BRT[6] Hanoi BRT[7] Istanbul BRT[8] Metro Bus[9] Transmilenio[10] El Metropolitano[1]
Travel Time Reduction
17%
45%
0.06% 0.63%
6.68%
45%
50%
40%
Guangzhou
BRT[2]
Tehran BRT[1] Trans Jakarta[5] Bangkok BRT[6] Hanoi BRT[7] Istanbul BRT[8] Metro Bus[9] Transmilenio[10]
Reduction of CO2 Emission
5. M. M. Hoque / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2016) 000–000 5
4.3 Traffic Safety Movements
Implementing BRT systems contribute to reductions in traffic crashes and fatalities in a few key ways. First, an
overall reduction in VKT (vehicle kilometers travel per capita) results in fewer drivers on the road and a safer
transport environment for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Second, dedicated bus lanes reduce interaction
between buses and other vehicles, minimizing the risk of traffic crashes. Finally, BRT can change bus drivers’
behavior by reducing on-the-road competition with other vehicles and providing opportunities to improve driver
training. In case of Delhi BRT the increase of crashes requires further examination and scrutiny (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Accident reduction or increase by Different BRTs
4.4 Reliability
Station dwell time reliability represents the ability of BRT vehicles to consistently load passengers within a
certain dwell time and to minimize the amount of time spent at a station. The station platform height, layout,
vehicle configuration, and passenger circulation enhancements can reduce the time it takes to board a vehicle and
secure a wheelchair, thereby, reducing station dwell time and enhancing the appeal of travel on BRT for all users.
The number of BRT user all around the world indicates the reliability towards a well-designed BRT system.
Figure 5: Higher Ridership in Different BRT (Source: BRTDATA.ORG)
5. Problems associated with current BRT systems(worldwide):
Review of several BRT systems based on different indicators revealed different problems associated with BRT
systems. As Delhi has similar heterogeneous and non-lane based traffic characteristic as Dhaka city, the problems
faced by Delhi BRT has been emphasized in this paper. Moreover, some problems link to Latin BRT system has
been considered.
-40%
50%
1.71%
-31.91%
64%
30%
88% 90%
Delhi BRT[3] Ahmedabad BRT[4] Bangkok BRT[6] Hanoi BRT[7] Istanbul BRT[8] Metro Bus[9] Transmilenio[10] El Metropolitano[1]
Accident Reduction or Increse
0.2
0.85
0.576
0.115
1.8
0.35
0.015
0.8 0.81
1.65
2.3
0.35
BRT-lite Guangzhou
BRT
Delhi BRT Ahmedabad
BRT
Tehran BRT Trans Jakarta Bangkok BRT Metro Bus Metro Bus Transmilenio Curitiba BRT El
Metropolitano
Ridership
Passenger Per day (MILLIONS)
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5.1 Design Issues:
BRT System allocates space on an equitable basis for all types of vehicles like motorized vehicles, non-
motorized vehicles and buses. However, the introduction of the pilot project led to significant traffic problems, i.e.
mainly congestion and queuing at the junctions in motorized vehicle lane. Sometimes in the peak hours there are
some delays and congestion at some locations. The junction’s holding capacity is less when compared to number of
vehicles on the corridor. Moreover, the presence of large population of two-wheelers owners further complicates the
situation at all junctions.
5.2 Bus Operation:
5.2.1Low Frequency of Bus:
The numbers of buses are not enough in many BRT systems. In the case of Delhi BRT buses are plying on four
key routes, covering the BRT Corridor. It has been observed that the frequency of buses is almost half in the
evening. The company has made repeated request to DTC to introduce more buses on these routes, as buses are very
crowded in the evening.
5.2.2Untrained Drivers:
The bus operation is very inefficient. Drivers are trained to drive buses with a view to ensuring the greater
discipline in Bus Lane. However, sometimes route numbers are not matched with Drivers on a stable basis, i.e.
drivers are frequently changed on different routes. As a result, it has been observed that very often many untrained
drivers are driving buses in the corridor.
5.3Slow Speed:
In case of many BRT systems all types of buses are allowed to use the Bus lane, including many deteriorated
buses, which cause frequent breakdowns. Only newer buses meeting quality and maintenance standards should be
allowed. It is also found that buses sometimes linger at the bus stops. As a result, sometimes passengers board and
alight before the bus platform.
5.4 Traffic signals:
In case of many BRT systems current traffic signals fail to discharge the traffic at peak hour, as traffic flow is
not stable and creates a long queue of cars in motorized vehicle lane as well as the bus Lane. Currently, static traffic
signal system is installed at BRT corridor, and on many times it is restored to manual operations of the signals.
However, the manual control of signals is incompatible with efficient operations. Manual control tends to operate
one phase at a time which is inefficient. Manual and automatic systems have conflicting/dangerous signal phases,
thus, switching system from automatic to manual and vice-versa can be dangerous. Sometime, long cycle time, i.e.
more than 240 seconds cycle and unsaturated phases add to inefficient operation. There is a need to install
“Intelligent Transport Signaling System” to automate the whole process.
5.5Traffic Discipline:
One of the key requirements of a successful BRT System is lane discipline among the commuters. Lane
discipline on BRT requires users to drive in their respective lane only. Damage to structures by errant drivers is also
a problem area. There are always other vehicles entering the Bus lane. Further, a large number of vehicles, mainly
scooters and motorcycles are entering into the cycle and pedestrian lane.
7. M. M. Hoque / Transportation Research Procedia 00 (2016) 000–000 7
6. Requirements for Efficient BRT System in Dhaka
From the studies of different overseas BRT system in section 4 and based on the problem discussed in section 5,
we propose some recommendations for BRT Line 3. These recommendations will be crucial for successful operation
of BRT line 3.
6.1 Regulation Act
Before introducing BRT 3, the authority should enact a special regulation Act. The act may help to address some
key issues like traffic violation, property damage, jaywalking etc. In the absence of any regulation, coordination
among different agency becomes difficult. Regulation can infer enforcement power to the operating agency on the
BRT Corridor, enabling them to ensure strict lane discipline. Secondly, any vehicle causing damage to the road
inventory can be easily penalized under the act. Most of the other countries have enacted a separate BRT Regulation
Act for the smooth functioning of the corridor.
6.2 Bus Operation
BRT is the Bus Rapid Transit system, i.e. one cannot think about BRT corridor without an effective bus
operation. In a highly populated city like Dhaka, Bus system and BRT system cannot be work in isolation. Thus,
high bus frequencies, route rationalization, introduction of comfortable buses etc. are the pre-requisite for any BRT
System. Building appropriate infrastructure is only as important as bringing in the correct operating norms. Both are
overlapping activities and not sequential.
6.3 Integration with Non-Motorised Transit (NMT)
As the implementation of BRT system will eliminate the other bus services including non-motorized vehicles on
some portion of BRT routes due to the space unavailability, non-motorized traffic management should be improved
to make the BRT system a successful one. Because of their elimination form major roads, a high volume of NMT
will gather on feeder roads. So the route network planning of BRT should be such that passenger will use NMT to
reach the bus stop from their household through the feeder roads. The major intersections should be kept free from
non-motorized vehicles. For the relocation of it, further details study is required.
6.4 Intelligent Traffic Signals (ITS)
The authority should have installed an intelligent traffic signaling system with vehicle tracking facility. The static
system of traffic light, therefore, cannot sense the change in traffic pattern resulting in slow throughput and
unutilized green time. An intelligent traffic system will not only synchronize the traffic signals on the corridor, but
also on connecting routes to the corridor.
6.5 Restrict Right Movement of the Traffic
BRT system aims to give priority to buses. A successful BRT system requires some special measures like
restricting the right movement of the traffic on junctions. The TransMilenio, which is known as the world’s best bus
rapid transit system, restricts the left turns (right turn in Bangladesh context) movement for other vehicles on the
BRT Corridor.
6.6. Foot over Bridges (FOB) / Subway:
Most of the people raised question about the pedestrian crossing facility. Experts have observed that at grade
pedestrian crossing on BRT Corridor is fine and normal. Moreover, pedestrian facilities at BRT Corridor have set a
new high standard for BRT, with tactile tiles facility for visibly-disabled. However, Line 3 corridor lies in a high
8. 8 M. M. Hoque/ Transportation Research Procedia00 (2016) 000–000
density area, dividing a community. Thus, there is need to build FOBs or subways at certain points to facilitate the
crossing. In case of Delhi BRT jaywalking is emerged as the most critical issue. Since April 2008, five fatal road
accidents have occurred at the corridor. Jaywalking can be identified as one of common factor for these accidents.
6.7Awareness and Education Campaign
A new system can be successful only if the acceptability is high among its user. The agency needs to design an
appropriate awareness and education campaign to disseminate the relevant information to the public. Dissemination
of information however does not mean one way communication; it advocates mutual and interactive communication
forums to be set up.
7. Conclusions:
The operational condition of public bus services in Dhaka city is deteriorating day by day. Finding a pragmatic
solution has always been a challenge in overcoming aforementioned deficiencies and there is an ever increasing
urgency of mitigating the complex transport problems in Dhaka. Among many proposed solutions Bus Rapid Transit
(BRT) is an excellent solution to the problems of the public transportation system of Dhaka city but to get an
efficient BRT system in operation some measures should be taken in ahead of the implementation. This paper
reviews the deficiencies and the reason behind the success of BRT systems round the world and based on that the
requirements for efficient BRT system to promote public transport system in Dhaka are also discussed in this paper.
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