Abstract

Our society is beset with so many problems and crisis and public transportation system is one of them. Bangladesh has a large number of people and it does not have planned transportation system to serve this vast population. In the Dhaka city this problem is more severe than any where else. So after realizing this problem we decided to prepare our research report on this thing with the objective of finding an integrated solution. Actually it is an analysis of the problems in public transports and after deciding the five major objectives we have conducted a field survey (30 respondents) and also case analysis (10 people) to collect information. After collecting data we have presented all of them in a tabular form for summarization purpose and analyze them through graphs. In this way we became able to define the main problems and also get a way to solution. We became able to identify the sectors that are mainly responsible for transportation problem. Improper city plan, lack of proper management of transports, inadequate rules and improper implication of the rules, overall poor service and increased population are mainly responsible. To solve the problem proper plan of the city and transportation system is highly required along with long term effective plans. Lastly we can say to make this research a success we met different types of people and visit different places. Through the preparation of the report we learned a lot regarding this field which will help us a lot in future.

Introduction

Bangladesh is a small country with huge population. Although, the portion of rural areas is two third of the total land of this developing country, most of the people have a tendency to come to the urban sites. Actually the lack of job opportunity, educational facilities, better living materials, improper health care and for other problems people sometimes becomes bound to come to the city. People searching for a better living opportunity, with lots of dreams in the eyes when reach the capital-Dhaka, faces some bitter realities. They struggle with the problems and fight with life. They face some such problems which have become a part of their daily life. And one of the most common problems that remain in the daily life of the city dwellers is transportation problem. More than 85% of the total population of the city use public transport on daily basis. And public transports refer to those vehicles where a significant number of people can travel and not owned by those publics in general. Bus, tampu, train, ferry, plane can be considered as common public transports. In our study we are considering bus, minibus, CNG auto rickshaw and taxi cabs to find out the real scenario. People in the city of Dhaka have to face a lot of problems and difficulties in their daily life journey. Lack of safety, security, bad behavior, poor service and other matter have become a part of their daily life while traveling in the public transport. Men and women face some common problems and also there are some other significant difficulties faced by the women and men separately. So, now a days public transportation has become a major concern for the people as well as the government. Actually this transportation system has some prospects also. If both the private sector and government work together to solve the problems and they become determined to provide excellent service it is possible to design a proper and standard transportation channel in Bangladesh. Moreover, general people will also have to follow some rules in using public transports. So, we can say that a lot of things need to do in this respect and a proper plan need to be design on early basis. With this public transportation system so many other things are closely and some are indirectly related; such as economic growth. If transportation system improves than the people will be satisfied, their working capabilities will increase, time can be saved, money and energy can be saved, an overall good impression of the country will be created and as result all these factors will positively influence our economy.

At last, it can be said that a happy nation need to be ensured for a happy world. And at present this happiness of Bangladesh is dependent on the public transportation system of the country to some extent. So, we are conducting this research on this topic to identify the negative thing and to suggest some thing that will help this sector to be improved.

Literature Review

Any research is done with the aim of finding out some specific answers of the questions aroused from a certain problem in the society mainly. Through research we wish to suggest some effective solution of the problem and to achieve the target of any study we at first have to know about the problem or the topics on which we are conducting the research. It can be done by a process which is called the literature review. So, literature review is nothing but the imperative part of any study or research. This process is really effective because through this one researcher can be able to get a clear idea about the topic and it also help a researcher through finding out a way from where he can start. It also helps to build up a confidence among the researcher and in this way it eases the research work for the researcher. As our research topic is Public Transportation Problem in the Dhaka City so on this topics articles and research report done by other people is more available than the relate books. We studied different research report done on the topic by other people and some recent articles from the newspaper (Daily Star and Prothom Alo). We have found a research report on Reforming inner city bus transportation in a developing country: A passenger driven model which is conducted by Sayed Saad Andaleeb, The Pennsylvania State University at Erie; Mahmudul Haq, Brac University, Bangladesh and Rubina I. Ahmed, East West University, Bangladesh; in which they have widely discussed the present condition of the inner city public transportation of Bangladesh. They have done the research based on the questionnaire, in-depth interview and extensive brainstorming. They mainly focused on the comfort and satisfaction level of the passengers and for this they analyzed various factors in details such as comfort, quality of ride, co-passenger behavior, bus stand facilities, security, bus conductor behavior, need to change bus, adequacy of buses and Government supervision. Among the factors there are four things- comfort, need to change bus, behaviors of the staffs and government supervision have the greatest impact on the passengers satisfaction. A fifth factor, quality of bus stand facilities, was found to be marginally significant in satisfaction level of passengers. On the other hand, three factors such as quality of the ride, co passenger behavior and feelings of insecurity were not found to be significant in predicting passenger satisfaction. 3

This study also said that except some premier buses that ply a limited number of key city routes, owners/operators of a large proportion of the buses, including government owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) buses do not pay adequate attention to passenger comfort. The report has described broadly about all the variables related with the public comfort in the buses such as lights, fans, ventilation, comfortable seats, adequate legroom, ceiling height etc. From this report we have become able to know various things related with the inner city bus service in the Dhaka city. Moreover, this study suggests that several variables have major implications for delivering satisfaction to bus passengers and for shaping travel behaviors that can lead to a more systematic and efficient traffic system in a city that is beleaguered by its population pressures and unimaginable traffic tangle. This research report is only about the bus transportation problem in the Dhaka city. Also this report says nothing about the ticket price satisfaction. It emphasizes only on the inner environment of the buses. This report makes no suggestions for any alternative that the people can use and also does not provide any long term solution of the present problem. So, it can be said that this report has emphasized only on one side of the total public transportation which is not adequate. Other than the above mentioned report we have studied others research and reports. Among them Macario (2001) suggests that for any urban mobility system to provide appropriate and effective solutions to its clients, it must focus on the interaction between different agents of the system acting within and across different levels of planning and control (i.e., authorities, operators, suppliers of equipments, citizens, etc.). Macario also cites Ciuffini (1995) to emphasize the need for an adequate balance between the following dimensions: Transport dimension should obtain adequate balance between modes and means of transport, so that those who give up the use of private transportation have available good quality alternatives without any social, geographical or sect oral discrimination. Environmental dimension should establish a configuration of the urban mobility system that results in a total sum of pollution below the endurance level. Economic dimension should offer good value for money, induce adaptive behavior from the users, and be able to create new financial resources to support investment.

Social dimension should ensure that citizens are provided with an adequate mobility system to their needs and that no exclusion through price or any other criteria is imposed on the basis of economic or financial goals.

Macario also suggests that there is no perfect transportation system, and therefore the second best solution lies in establishing trade-offs between the various dimensions according to the socioeconomic and cultural reality of each specific environment (urban area). These trade-offs are conditioned by practical options that result from the interaction between the local, regional, and national levels of interventions. Clearly, an effective transportation system is a function of the strategic objectives designed to address stakeholders interests. Customer satisfaction with transportation services can be placed in the framework of stakeholder (passenger) interests. From this perspective, customer satisfaction with bus transportation can be used to find reasonable solutions to problems. There is, in fact, no comprehensive study on customer satisfaction with bus (or transportation) services in Bangladesh. Passengers opinions regarding the quality of bus services can be vital in making this sector popular, attractive, and of greater value relative to other modes so as to induce more people to use it regularly. After citing the above mentioned reports we also go for article analysis on the transportation problem. From the analysis we came to know many things about the problem. Among them three articles of Daily Star newspaper caught our attention. The article (September 23,2005) written by Shamim Ahsan emphasized on the inner city bus service problem and the writer considered ticket price, wrong and mismanaged scheduling of bus hours as major problem. Moreover, in the article it was also included that traffic jams are occurring due to these buses. In the different routes how passengers are facing difficulties have also been said in short in the article. Another article of Daily Star (September 23, 2005) titled as Searching for a Solution is all about how the planners can solve the transportation problem and several plans that have been taken regarding this has also been discussed. The article talked about RAJUK's Metropliton Development Plan (1995-2015), Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) and Strategic Transport Plan (STP) mainly. All of these plans actually focused on the metro rail service to solve the problem. Other things like Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS), lane for pedestrians etc has also been discussed. The last article that we have found to be fruitful for our study was also from Daily Star titled as To solve the transportation problem of Dhaka metropolitan area where Strategic Transport Plan (STP) that has been taken by the government to solve the problem has been criticized. According to the article, the STP recommendations are highly capital-intensive option that will require a total investment of US$ 5.52 billion or 5

Taka 38,000 crores for its implementation, but the benefits which will be achieved out of this investment will not be very significant. Thats why the writers suggested that STP is not the solution and to solve the problem three things need to be done- adopting strategies to restrain the growth of population in the cities, decentralized power and proper planning. But all three of the articles have got some limitations. The first one was only about the bus problem and no solution is prescribed. In the second article, without thinking about other sides only metro rail service should be start has been given preference. And in the last one we have not find any actual and effective solution of the problem. In the absence of any comprehensive local research, we relied partially on studies conducted in other countries to identify the key attributes regarding urban bus transportation needs. However, the conditions existing in these countries relative to Bangladesh may raise questions of comparability. Acknowledging the differences, our findings are discussed below. UKs Midlands operator Trent Buses conducted a thorough research with a view to improving services (Disney 1998) and identified customers top requirements as: reliability/frequency of services, friendliness of services, clean bus interiors, comfort, value for money, clean bus exteriors, easy access, reasonable fares, and easy to understand and remember timetables. The top four items stood out in importance, and value for money was revealed as an embodiment of these attributes. Thus, if bus operators failed to deliver on the four items, they were not producing value for money. Low fare was not perceived as a critical requirement by a majority of the customers. Despite scoring high on reliability, Trent Buses fell short of expectations in the other three top values and was seen as weak in value for money. In the study, bus driver attitude and behavior were seen as problematic. Although only 10 percent of the drivers were responsible for this problem, what was far more damaging was the perception. Vehicle cleaning standards were also severely criticized. In India, transportation systems have also been criticized for their low quality of services reflected in the growing number of standing passengers, lack of punctuality, irregularity, and substandard amenities (Mishra and Nandagopal 1993). Lastly, we would like to say that by studying different research reports we have understood the main idea of our topics and by identifying their limitations we have become able to prepare an effective report.

Problem Statement
Previously many researches have been conducted on this topic but they have some gap. Here in our study we are trying to fill up those gaps.

Objective of the Research

To set up an objective for any particular study or analysis is an essential thing. Without a particular objective the study or analysis is not fulfilled. The major or broad objective of our study is as follows:

The first and foremost objective of the study is to identify how we, the citizen of this country is suffering by using the public transport By doing this study we will be going to find out that why this problem is happening and what immediate solution or step should be taken to stop them.

In order to attain the above mentioned objectives the following specific things need to be clarified: To find out whether the overall poor service is responsible for public transportation or not To find out that whether the lack of rules and regulations are one of the main reasons for this problem or not To find out whether improper management of traffic and transport system and lack of infrastructure development are responsible or not To learn about the impact of increased population and non conforming mentality of the city people to the problem To find out that whether overall defective planning of Dhaka city is one of the reasons of this problem or not

Research Methodology

Research Type It is an exploratory research because we know the problem but not the specific reasons behind the problem and in what ways those problems can be solved; we also need to find out. Sources of Data collection We used both the following sources: Primary sources: We have conducted the survey through questionnaire and also doing the case studies. And thats why we are directly collecting data from the respondents. Secondary sources: For the purpose of doing literature review we have studied articles from the news papers, magazines, and some research reports of other people and website information.

Data Collection Method We have used two methods in collecting data-survey and case study. Because public transportation problem is faced by almost all the people of the city and it is not possible to go for generalization without doing studying a suitable amount of people. Sampling Technique We have used non probability sampling technique and purposive sampling because We had resource constraints (less time, money, work force) We needed to select those people who use public transports in the Dhaka city. So our samples should have this specific characteristic. Comparatively easy to do

Sample size We have taken 30 respondents for the survey purpose and 10 people for case study. They are from different background, education, profession and age. Data Collection Instruments We have taken face to face interview for case study and distributed self administrative questionnaire among people. 8

Data Analysis Techniques We have processed data through drawing graphs (pie chart and bar diagram) and also we have done the tables where frequency, percentages have been shown.

Variables

In our study we can say public transportation problem is the dependent variable and the independent variables can be the reasons behind this problem. Such as Transportation service: It includes various factors such as- bus conductor and drivers behavior, co passengers behavior, seating facilities, air condition, lights, fans, ventilation, adequate legroom, ceiling height, good internal environment, good physical condition of transports, fixed routs, fixed time schedule of running bus or minibus, ticket price or fare rates, comfort, security, quality of ride, bus, taxi stand facilities, availability of transports. Rules and regulations: It includes traffic rules, rules and regulations of BRTA (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority) and RTC (Regional Transport Corporation) and punishment policy.

Management of the system: It mainly includes the implications of the rules and regulation and total management of the transportation system by the government. Quantity and quality management of transports, road maintenance, traffic rules management, management of traffic police and transport related all the parties or organizations, ensuring safety security of general people are the parts of this point.

Population: It is actually the number of people who travels from one place to another in the Dhaka city.

Individuals mentality: People may have nonconforming mentality which leads to the violation of rules and regulations.

City planning: The total infrastructure development, road construction, road planning, planning of residential and commercial areas in the city are included in the Dhaka city planning.

Vehicles: We are considering bus, minibus, taxi cabs and CNG auto rickshaw as public transport.

Limitations of the Study

Our study was on the subject titled as Public transportation problem in the Dhaka city. At the very beginning we thought that it would not be very difficult to collect information. Later on the scenario has completely changed. Though the subject matter was very much related to our society still people were unwilling to share their experiences. As they were asked some tricky but related question they got conscious and felt hesitated to answer. They thought if any harm occur after being said something unconsciously. Then they were being convinced very diplomatically. There are some schedule mismatches between the survey and surveyor. Lack of proper knowledge of the people is also our limitation while doing this research work. Moreover we faced time, budget and human resource constraints

Scope of the Study

Our research is all about the public transportation problem in the Dhaka city and we are mainly considering the problems that people face while traveling in the road by bus, mini bus, CNG auto rickshaw and taxicabs. One of our main objectives is also to find out the solution of this problem and it may ultimately help the concerning authorities to take some real decision. Moreover it is a problem that all people have to face on a daily basis. Thats why for the government and also for the people it has become one of the major priorities. Actually this transportation system has some prospects also. If both the private sector and government work together to solve the problems and they become determined to provide excellent service it is possible to design a proper and standard transportation channel in Bangladesh. Moreover, general people will also have to follow some rules in using public transports. So, we can say that a lot of things need to do in this respect and a proper plan need to be design on early basis. 10

With this public transportation system so many other things are closely and some are indirectly related; such as economic growth. If transportation system improves than the people will be satisfied, their working capabilities will increase, time can be saved, money and energy can be saved, an overall good impression of the country will be created and as result all these factors will positively influence our economy. So we can certainly say that our report is the voices of the general people who are the daily suffer. Moreover all the persons related to this topic can take many important things and can know many new aspects of the transportation problem. It will also help them to know much information in details. If the decision makers or policy makers go through this report they find a way to solve the problem and they will thoroughly understand that how general people are suffering.

References
Sayed Saad Andaleeb, The Pennsylvania State University at Erie; Mahmudul Haq, Brac University, Bangladesh Rubina I. Ahmed, East West University, Bangladesh Shamim Ahsan article, Daily Star ,(September 23,2005) RAJUK's Metropliton Development Plan (1995-2015), Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) and Strategic Transport Plan (STP) article of Daily Star (September 23, 2005) UKs Midlands operator, (Disney 1998) (Mishra and Nandagopal India, (1993).

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