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Special Assistant for Road Transport and Bridges Dr Sheikh Moinuddin has opposed the Dhaka bus-route plan made by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), saying a clear distinction among the government agencies is a must to ensure they co-operate with one another
"Experience and expertise are two different things. Experience may be gained from observations, but it cannot bring about a real solution or the right treatment," he told The Financial Express at his office on Thursday.
Attempts have been made to introduce bus route rationalisation (BRR) in Dhaka, which involves operating bus services through route-specific franchise companies, since 2005 in line with the Strategic Transport Plan (STP).
However, the planned 44 routes, to be operated under bus route franchise (BRF), could not be implemented during either the Awami League or the interim government's term due to vested groups' control on the transport sector.
The two governments launched Dhaka Nagar Paribahan and Nagar Paribahan, respectively, by compromising the main BRF concept.
However, the services could not be operated due to the same reasons.
The DMP recently devised its own route plan and launched pink-coloured bus services on a city route, which has no similarity with the BRF.
Dr Moinuddin said there is no scope for a tug of war centring BRR as planning clearly goes into the hands of experts on transport, while traffic management is paper-based instructions to be followed.
Though he acknowledged the importance of field experiences, he said engineering can solve anything that cannot be solved by observations.
Around the world, the agency involved in traffic management always carries paper instructions, said Dr Moinuddin, who had served as the head of the Safety and Operation Division under the California Department of Transportation before joining as a special assistant to the chief adviser of the interim government.
He also talked about other agencies that are often blamed for bad roads and transportation systems.
The Dhaka city corporations and the Roads and Highways Department point the finger at each other due to a lack of coordination, he said.
"If a clear distinction was there, none could blame each other," he said, expressing his preference to bring all transport-related bodies under one ministry for better coordination.
Dr Moinuddin said rail, road, and inland water, which are all under multi-modal transportation, should be part of a single ministry so that it can be held accountable if problems arise.
He also highlighted that all agencies, including shipping, railway, and road, now have their own master plans with no coordination for improving modal share in passenger and freight transportation.
Even tourism and investment may come under the same ministry as smooth physical infrastructures and transportation are the prerequisites for all, he added.
smunima@yahoo.com