Traffic jam
is a very common problem of our regular life. Traffic jam has become
intolerable in Dhaka. Although government has taken many steps to bring it on
an acceptable level but due to ineffectiveness and lack of monitoring system
those are not working properly. As a result, people lose valuable working hours
as well as automobile's costly fuel every day. Although a modern city should
have 25% of its total area for road uses but unfortunately in Dhaka have only
7% area for roads.
Traffic congestion has a number of negative effects: Wasting
time of motorists and passengers ("opportunity cost"). As a non-productive
activity for most people, congestion reduces regional economic health. Delays,
which may result in late arrival for employment, meetings, and education,
resulting in lost business, disciplinary action or other personal losses.
Inability to forecast travel time accurately, leading to drivers allocating
more time to travel "just in case", and less time on productive activities.
Wasted fuel increasing air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions owing to increased idling,
acceleration and braking. Wear and tear on vehicles as a result of idling in
traffic and frequent acceleration and braking, leading to more frequent repairs
and replacements. Stressed and frustrated motorists, encouraging road rage and reduced health of motorists
Emergencies: blocked traffic may interfere with the passage of emergency
vehicles traveling to their destinations where they are urgently needed.
Spillover from congested main arteries to secondary roads and side streets as
alternative routes are attempted, which may affect neighborhood amenity and real estate prices.
Traffic congestion occurs when a volume of traffic or modal split generates demand for space greater than the available road capacity; this point
is commonly termed saturation. There are a number of
specific circumstances which cause or aggravate congestion; most of them reduce
the capacity of a road at a given point or over a certain length, or increase
the number of vehicles required for a given volume of people or goods. Traffic
jam has become intolerable in Dhaka city; general people are very much
suffering from it.