Role of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in present traffic management system of Dhaka City

Abstract

Dhaka, the capital City of Bangladesh and the home of 15 million people, is subjected to acute traffic congestion on a regular basis resulting in lost productivity, fuel wastage, commuter frustration and environmental degradation. The city is perhaps the only megacity with no well organized traffic management system and one of the very few ones without Mass Rapid Transit (MRT). Traffic management is a vital tool for improving the roadway capacity. Traffic management system of Dhaka City is guided by various agencies activities. This is yet another major problem owing to the multiplicity of service providers with unclear and often overlapping mandates. Poor institutional efficiency of the organizations connected with the traffic management system reducing roadway capacity. Traffic Department of Dhaka Metropolitan police (DMP) is one of the key agencies of present traffic management system functioning control of traffic movement in the city, enforcement of traffic rules to ensure road safety, investigating road accidents, storing of data and the analysis of the accident data. The objectives of this study are: to identify the present traffic management system in Dhaka City and to assess DMP functions in present traffic management system. The objectives of this study were achieved via a comprehensive literature review, interview survey and finally data collection was conducted via a questionnaire survey with respondents having relation to traffic management. In analysis it was found that present traffic management system involving different agencies without any coordination. Hence it created a fragile traffic management system with lack of efficiency among agencies. Traffic police of DMP is one of the key agencies activities has been assessed based on five variables or indicators: parking, lane discipline, footpath and pedestrian crossing, manpower and traffic control and management with other agencies. Through this indicators analysis it is found that DMP role on traffic management is underperforming considering its responsibilities.