Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
Many cities in the world on September 22 observed the World Car-Free Day. Though it is still celebrated as a European car-free day in the continent as introduced by the European Commission (EC), since 2000, it has also been observed as an international day. The core idea behind the day is to discourage the use of cars, private cars to be precise, and encourage people to use bicycles and public transport like buses, trams and trains. In the day, people can see what their cities would look like with fewer cars and what the alternatives are without cars on the roads. By keeping cars off the streets for a day, it is also possible to reduce air and sound pollution. Thus, the concept of a car-free day has broader implications.
It is widely recognised that a standard private car is less efficient in commuting as it can carry a maximum of five people at a time. The number of passengers in bigger cars is seven to eight, and in microbuses, it is a maximum of 12 to 14. The car, however, occupies comparatively more road space than a bus, which is an efficient mode of public transport. Generally, a bus is threefold the size of a car, while its capacity to carry passengers is far higher than a car. A standard public bus can easily replace eight to ten private cars by having 40 to 60 passengers at a time.
Cars are primarily for comfort and used to maintain privacy in commuting, especially by the affluent section of society. A growing number of people within the middle-class bracket also use cars in Bangladesh. The lack of decent and efficient public transport is primarily responsible for the increase in the use of private vehicles on roads, contributing to traffic congestion. The communication infrastructure is also biased towards the car. That's why there is a persistent rise in private cars.
Statistics available with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) showed that at least 45 private cars appear on the country's roads daily on an average. The total number of registered private passenger cars last year alone stood at 16,695 across the country, of which 14,946 were in Dhaka. Again, in the first eight months of the current year, some 6,495 new private cars were registered in Dhaka metropolitan area.
The increase in private vehicles is co-related mainly to economic growth. It can be said that higher economic growth induces higher consumption spree among more people. As their income rises, they look for their houses and personal transport. Thus, the number of cars also increases. This has been happening in Bangladesh. At the same time, it also reflects the growing income disparity in the country.
Limiting cars on the road is necessary to enhance the mobility of mass people, and that requires efficient public transport. By ensuring green and decent public transport, it will be possible to curb the use of private vehicles like cars and motorcycles. The rapid rise of motorcycles also becomes another severe constraint to controlling traffic congestion. Chaotic movement of motorcycles including on the footpaths and also in the wrong direction creates traffic anarchy---not to mention the frequent accidents. As cars and motorcycles are a private mode of transport, it is necessary to curb the use of both on roads.