An Overview of 'Traffic Congestion',

Abstract

Deficiencies in present roadway network of Dhaka cig have reached to such an alanrring state where scopes of traffie improvement are getting confined day after day. Weak infrastructure has provoked the heterogeneous mixing of vehicle along with non-lane based movement and no access control. Taking advantage of existing poor monitoring system, number of non registered and road unworthy vehicles is on a rise. Recent studies showed &at in developed countries, bet$reen 2 to 8.5 perc€nt of accidents are directly caused by faulty vehicles. Situation gets worsen for developing countries tike Bangladesh. Due to lack of proper implementation of transport planning and effective management, sfreets of Dhaka have become over nunbered with vehicles and remain motionless for hours in both peak and off peak periods. Frequent application ofbrake is a regular scene in congested roads, which direct$ stimulaGs accelerated depreciation of vehicle brake system. Identification of inherent weakness of interrupted traffic flow like total number of intemrptions during a vehicle trip is prerequisite to confirm tfue smooth flow of vehicte and minimize the undesirable time killing of road users. As &ere is a direct relationship between road accident and vehicle brake system performance, an attempt is made to quantify the mmber of intemrptions of vehicles of different categories. In this regard a comprehensive surdy has been carid out to cormt rurmber of brake applied dwing vehicle flow from Mailbag hel crossing to Bashundhara residential area for a week. The striking features of the research rill be discussed in the paper with a view to undsstand the root causes of disruptions emrcting smooth vehicular flow and necessary engineering countefitreasrres will be Foyided to improve vehicle performance.