Situated at the heart of the Dhaka city, Mohakhali is a major transportation hub which connects the city with the other cities around the country. Although it is a major central hub for transportation, it is also infamous for traffic congestion in the city. Due to the lack of adequate planning, the buses entering and exiting from this terminal causes a massive gridlock on the road situated in front of it. The purpose of this study is to identify the problems and find reasonable solutions to this traffic jam and improve the accessibility of the buses and other vehicles in the area. By achieving this, the traffic situation of the area, if not the whole city, can be assuaged quite significantly.
The problem surrounding the Mohakhali bus terminal is increasing day by day causing disruption in the day to day lives of the city dwellers in the vicinity. Not only does it causes traffic congestion but with this problem comes the situation of wastage of time, pollution, frustration and not to mention the most severe of all problems, road accidents. The situation has gone so much out of hand that the people of the city now consider this a constant part of their lives. This area has now become a nightmare for the people of Mohakhali and the people commuting through it. The major problem of the Mohakhali bus terminal is its poor planning and handling of the vehicles. Parking (single and double lane of buses) on the road is a major issue as it hampers the passing of other vehicles. The parking situation inside is also in shambles as it is unplanned and buses are parked as they please. There is also no specific drop-off or pick-up space of passengers for the buses inside and outside the terminal, people board the buses from the main road and also bus drivers stop the buses to pick passengers wherever and whenever they please. Mohakhali is a connection of the capital with the other cities in the country. It is the location of a terminal dated back from the 80’s and has created its own significance as a major transportation hub. Mohakhali is one of the four major bus terminals in the Dhaka city; therefore it is also one of the major attraction points for thousands of buses, cars, motorized and non-motorized vehicles and people. This area also attracts a lot of unwanted traffic jam, and corruption. Unplanned parking, insufficient bus bays, lack of distinction between pedestrian and vehicular circulations is also major problems associated with this site.
The problem has now become so severe that the Dhaka North City Corporation has taken initiatives to completely uproot all the bus terminals inside the city and place them outside the city boundaries. They are planning to replace the existing bus terminal with a bus depot which will house buses, develop a bus stop along with developing commercial and recreational spaces. The existing terminal lacks proper basic facilities such as, bus docks, proper ticket counters, clean and hygienic waiting area and washrooms. Buses are parked haphazardly inside the area which is supposed to be a depot to accommodate 300 buses but due to poor management can house barely 100 buses, therefore resulting in the buses parking outside the terminal. In the Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP) report (2019), it is mentioned that the Mohakhali bus terminal falls along the BRT Line-3 making it a bus stop as well. According to DTCA (Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, 2021) and RSTP (Revised Strategic Transport Plan) the existing terminal in Mohakhali is to be demolished and made into a bus stop, depot and commercial space.
Revitalizing the commercial essence of Mohakhali bus terminal site through uninterrupted accessibility of all activity to increase the connection between the site and its surrounding community is a start to assuage this situation. Separation of modes outside of site and integration between the modes inside to avoid overlapping of different circulations (such as car, bus, pedestrian, rickshaw, CNG etc.) can also be considered to ensure safe passage of both vehicles and pedestrians. One of the major issues of the Mohakhali Bus Terminal is its lack of public accessibility. The only entry to the terminal is by crossing through the buses that are parked, with only a 2 story small building for passengers to wait and a few ticketing booths.
A multi-storied (underground) indoor bus parking can be proposed to separate the different modes of transportation. By doing so, the ground floor can be made completely accessible for public use by redeveloping the area into a recreational spot through proper planning. The buses can be parked and serviced in to the underground three floors, ticketing areas and waiting rooms can be positioned in the ground floor and shopping complexes and Cineplex’s can be made available on the upper floors. The indoor bus parking can be proposed to accommodate spaces under and above the ground, with ramps to reach the different levels of bus parking. This option will allow the vehicles to have a controlled circulation within the terminal area. Also the urban spaces outside the terminal can be utilized as a recreational spot for the people in the neighborhood and other parts of the city. By boosting its commercial and recreational attributes, the problematic Mohakhali bus terminal can be turned into a major attraction area of the city.
