The Chittagong University Journal of Social Sciences

Vol.27, 2009, (p.143-158)

Traffic Congestion in Chittagong Metropolitan City, Bangladesh: A Case

Study on Citizen Perception
Kazi Md. Barkat Ali1
Morshed Hossan Molla2

Abstract

The study attempts to examine people’s perception of traffic congestion in Chittagong

Metropolitan city, Bangladesh. This study has analyzed both factual and perceptual data. The
factual data are collected from various secondary sources and perceptual data are collected
from structural questionnaire survey. For questionnaire survey random sampling techniques
have been adopted. A total of 140 questionnaires have been done in passengers, pedestrians and
drivers of ten congested areas in this city. Traffic congestion has become a common phenomena
in Chittagong city in the recent times causing immense suffering of the city dwellers. Violation of
traffic law and illegal parking is the main and major problems. It influences on other problems
in this city. By statistically justified use of satisfaction index it helps to identify congested areas.
More congested areas are Bahaddarhat more and lowest congested areas are Oxygen,
Dewenhat and Tiger pass more. 4pm to 6pm is the more congested time in the day because urban
dwellers are moving their residents and start day restricted vehicles. Intersection and terminal
areas are more congested in this city. Therefore, it is recommended that govt. and related
authorities should take proper initiatives to reduce the traffic congestion and it will ensure the
fast and healthy city like Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Key words: Chittagong, sample size, traffic congestion, congestion area and assessment.

1
Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Chittagong
2
Research Student, Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Chittagong

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Introduction

The positive co-relation between economic development and transportation is well recognized.
The quality of the urban environment depends at a great deal on the quality of the essential
infrastructural and utility services like supply water and sanitation, transport and communication,
sewerage, drainage, garbage disposal, electricity and gas or fuel for cooking. Urban development
depends heavily on the transportation system. Unfortunately this essential infrastructure is very
poorly developed in the urban areas of Bangladesh. The public mass transport system in the form
of buses and minibuses is available in the largest cities, but the services are highly adequate. The
number of vehicular transport has increased manifold. The large number of cycles rickshaws and
small personalized and motorized vehicles and the inadequately planned of unplanned road
system, the poor traffic and road transport management system, corruption of the personnel in
the traffic control and implementing authorities, the citizens disregard for traffic rules and
discipline and host of other factors have been responsible for frequent and unbearable traffic
jams in urban areas (Islam 1996). Congestion is easily recognized when are road filled with cars,
trucks, and buses, sidewalks filled with pedestrians. The definition of the term congestion
mentions such words as “clog” “impede,” and “excessive fullness.” For anyone who has ever sat
in congested traffic, those words should sound familiar. In the transportation realm, congestion
usually relates to an excess of vehicles on a portion of roadway at a particular time resulting in
speeds that are slower-sometimes much slower- than normal or “free flow” speeds. Congestion
often means stopped or stop-and-go traffic. Traffic congestion is a tremendous situation for the
city dwellers. Now traffic congestion is a common and daily matter to the inhabitants of the city.
It is causing loss of valuable times (working hour), money, air pollution, psychological problem
or strain, also congestion and its resulting problems are decrease the foreign direct and indirect
investment, decrease the city’s beauty in this respect it should be mentioned here that according
to the justification of “Asia week” the position of Chittagong Metropolitan city was 37th of the
forty Asian cities.

As Chittagong city has been expanding very rapidly in the last decades. Day by day vehicles are
increasing very fast in this city but the transport network of this city’s are not expanded as per
the population growing and demand. So the present researches justify “causes of traffic

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congestions and its spatial variation and provide some recommendations to minimize or reduce
the problem in the Chittagong Metropolitan city.

Study area

Chittagong is the principal seaport of the country, divisional headquarters, important trade and
commercial center, industrial base and is the second largest learning center with a University,
Medical collage etc. Port city of Chittagong was the second ranking urban center throughout the
period. It handles the major volume of export and import of the country (Eusuf 1996). Its
estimated population about 4 million, male 54.36% and female 45.64 % and population density
per square Km is 15276. According to Chittagong City Corporation (CCC), the area of
Chittagong city is 100 sq. km. The level of urbanization in Bangladesh is low, but the rate of
growth of urban population is very high and due to large total population the absolute number of
population is also large. A divisional headquarters is the port city and commercial capital city,
the rate of urbanizations also high in Chittagong Metropolitan city. The impact of large influx of
population in the city has been quite strong on the overall environmental situation in the city.
According to BBS, the area of Chittagong city is 209.67 sq. km. Chittagong city has 41 words in
total. Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) has divided the area into 9 Zones on the basis
of some facilities provided and problem arises (CDA Structure Plan, p-3.4.2, 1995). It is situated
between 22°-14´ and 22°-24´-30´´north latitude and between 91°-46´ and 91°-53´ east longitude.
The city stands on the west bank of Karnaphuli river and bounded by the bay of bengal in its
western side.

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Source: Based map collected from CDA -2009

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Literature Review

Literature review is pre-condition for any research because it helps the previous condition of this
problem and its width. Following some reviews about the traffic congestions in Chittagong city,
Bangladesh.

Chittagong bypass and Penetrator Road (1986), one of the earliest studies illustrated the
engineering and economic feasibility study of the proposed Chittagong bypass road. Along with
others, one of its recommendations was to control as well as phase out non-motorized vehicles,
especially rickshaws, to reduce traffic congestion.

Chantgami (2000), gave stresses on the congestion in the old city areas and recommendation
that for an easy and safe movement of vehicles, there must be time restriction for selected
vehicles, parking provisions for loading and unloading, one way system, minor adjustment to
road corners, roadway maintenance and land use control. This study was made for old part of
Chittagong city, but it is applicable for even many parts of the city.

Baru (2007), focused on different aspects of failure in traffic management and administration for
Chittagong city. It concluded that existing transport modes are not educated to meet the travel
demand and mixed mode situation has resulted in traffic congestion and less safety.

Hossain (2001), investigated the factors that are responsible for the selection of a particular
transport mode. In particular, it analyzed the traveling behavior of a number of households form
some particular localities in Metropolitan Chittagong city. Total family income appeared as a
very important factor in determining factor in determining its members to choose the appropriate
transport modes for different trip purposes.

Ali (1992), paid a great importance to bus transport, as the economic status of the city dwellers is
not in favor of private transport like cars. He studied some important but common transportation
problems related to bus mode like long waiting period, delay, over loading and thus low level of
services.

Rahman (2002) and Kamruzzaman (2007), identified the urban environmental problems of
Chittagong city, notable traffic congestion is the main & major urban environmental problems of

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Chittagong Metropolitan city. In the recent time it is common scenario for urban dwellers in this
city.

Objectives of the study

The principle objective of this study is to investigate “Traffic Congestion in Chittagong

Metropolitan city”.

The specific objectives are:

1. To identify the congestion areas in a day of the city; and

2. To determine the causes of traffic congestion in the city.

Methodology and Data Sources

Investigation of the traffic congestions in Chittagong Metropolitan city is based on perceptual as

well as factual data. This factual data have been collected from various secondary sources.
Secondary data were collected from CDA (Chittagong Development Authority) & CMP
(Chittagong Metropolitan Police) & perceptual data were collected through open or closed
structured questionnaire survey. Main causes of traffic congestion have been identified citizen
(i.e. driver, passenger and pedestrian) perception. An open /closed structured questionnaire was
framed with 23 variables. 7 variables are related to personal information, 16 variables are related
to causes of traffic congestion. Causes of traffic congestion of variables of 3 points satisfactions
scale (satisfaction, average & dissatisfaction). Chittagong cities traffic sections were divided into
10 spots (i.e. Bahaddarhat Moor, Chawkbazaar Moor, New Market Moor, Muradpur Moor,
Anderkilla Moor, GEC Moor, 2 No. Gate Moor, Oxygen Moor, Dewanhat Moor & Tiger Pass
Moor). For questionnaire survey about 140 questionnaires surveyed in above 10 spots. A random
sampling technique has been adopted to administer the all questionnaires survey.

Index of Satisfaction
To determine the limit of satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the causes of traffic congestion
variables by the respondents, the following satisfaction index developed by Hall, Yen and Tan
(1975) was selected.

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Here,
Is = Satisfaction Index.
fs = Number of Satisfied Respondents.
fd= Number of Dissatisfied Respondents.
N = Total Number of Respondents.
For this satisfaction index, Is= +1, meaning highest level of satisfaction and Is= -1, meaning
highest level of dissatisfaction. In this respects negative index of satisfaction was taken to select
causes of traffic congestion.
The above satisfaction index has been used by Khan, 1992, Hossain, 1995, Rahman, 1996,
Hasan, 1999, Rahman and Islam, 2001 to determine the satisfaction index of respondents of
various income groups.
Nature of the Respondent:

In the present study respondent are three types such as passengers 42.85%, pedestrian 42.85 %
and driver 14.28 %. Age structure of the respondents, young and middle aged (15-49 age
structure) group are 80.83 % on the other hand 19.17 % respondents are old aged (46-60 age
structure) group. Among the total respondents 54.17 % passed the SSC and HSC, 35.00 %
respondents are graduates and master degree, and10.83 % are passed the 1 to 5 level of the
education.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Background of the Traffic Congestion in Chittagong City

Chittagong city mainly depends on heterogeneous (rick wash, bus, truck, lorry, tempo and
different types of human haler) transportation network system. Road unfairness has been evolved
due to topography of the city. There are total areas 157 square km (61 square miles) that zigzag
and narrow by road network, but this network are not sufficient of city dwellers. The spatial
distribution and intensity of traffic congestion in varies from spot to spot. According to field
survey respondent have mentioned that Bahaddarhat Moor, Chawkbazer Moor, Dewanhat Moor,
New Market Moor, Muradpur Moor, GEC Moor, 2 No gate Moor, Tigerpass Moor and Agrabad

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Moor areas the most traffic congested points in the Chittagong City. It is clear from the
following the table no –01.

Table no -01: The Spatial distribution and intensity of Traffic congestion.

Survey Spots Frequency (F) Percentage (%) Rank(R)3

Bahaddarhat Moor 30 21.42 1
Chawkbazar Moor 20 14.28 2
Muradpur Moor 20 14.28 2
GEC Moor 15 10.71 3
New Market Moor 14 10.00 4
Andarkilla Moor 10 7.14 5
2 NO Gate Moor 10 7.14 5
Oxygen Moor 7 5.00 6
Dewanhat Moor 7 5.00 6
Tiger pass Moor 7 5.00 6
Total 140 100.00
Source: Field Survey 2009

On the above table 21.42 % respondent put forward that Bhaddarhat Moor is the highly
congested area in this city. Bhaddarhat Moor is the more crowed place because near terminal ,
unscheduled bus stops, unplanned setup market ( Katcha Bazar ), shopping center, hawker and
other merchandiser hold in road & lack of over bridge and so on. Tiger pass, Dewanhat &
Oxygen Moor are the lowest congestion spots in Chittagong city.

Points of road most vulnerable to traffic congestion

Intersection and near intersection are the more congested point in Chittagong Metropolitan city.
Because intersection areas are the meeting zone of passenger (waiting for vehicle), pedestrian,
hooker (various types of merchandiser), legal stopies of vehicles, fruits shop and shopping center
build near this place. Bus terminal, front of shopping center are the second position of congestion

3
Rank size measured respect on percentage
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points and railway level crossing, front of educational institution, mid of the link are the another
congested point in Chittagong city. Following the table it is clear the point of congestion in
Chittagong city.

Table no-02: Points of road most vulnerable to traffic congestion

Points Frequency Percentage (%)

At intersection 52 37.14
Near intersection 38 27.14
Bus terminal 16 11.42
Front of shopping center 12 8.57
Railway level crossing 9 6.42
Front of educational institution 8 5.71
Middle of the link 5 3.57
Total 140 100.0
Source: Field Survey 2009

Traffic congestion of different times in a day

Chittagong city is a port, Industrial city being the commercial or second capital city. Its territory
and business activities are uprising day by day. Its inhabitants are increasing (because of existing
population growth rate and more for migration) as well as their neighborhood facilities are also
keeping rising. Traffic congestion occurs is not uniform in Chittagong city it varies in time to
time it is clear from the following the figure no-1

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Fig: no – 1: Traffic congestion of different times in a day.

Source: Field work 2009

It is also mentioned that the congestion occurs in different times according to field observation
more congested time one 4pm to 6pm (26.42%) and lowest congestion time one 8am to 10am.
Chittagong city is the port capital well fringing city of our country. Various vehicles like truck,
container and heavy lorry are incoming 7 outgoing in 4pm to 6pm time schedule and fringe
dwellers are moving their resident in that time, this is the main reason of traffic congestion.

Causes of the Traffic Congestion in Chittagong City

Traffic congestion occurs when a volume of traffic or modal split generates demand for space
greater than the available road capacity. There are a number of specific circumstances which
causes 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 vehicle required for a given people or goods.
However, main causes of traffic congestion in Chittagong Metropolitan city are given below in
table no – 02.

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Table no-02: Causes of the Traffic Congestion in Chittagong City

Causes Frequency (F) Percentage (%) Rank (R)4

Illegal parking 35 25.00 1
Absences of traffic Law 21 15.00 2
enforcement
Adversity and not spacious 19 13.57 3
of public road
Vehicle number Frequency Percentage Rank (R)
Augmentation of all

(F) (%)
classes vehicle number

Rickshaw 5 27.77 1
CNG 4 22.22 2
Bus 3 16.66 3
Tempo 3 16.66 3
Car 2 11.11 4
Van/Rider/Truck 2 11.11 4
Total 18 100.00
Fault signal system 9 6.42 5
Unplanned market, 9 6.42 5
shopping center and setup
school
Hawker and other 7 5.00 6
merchandiser hold in road
Poor footpath facilities 5 3.57 7
Unscheduled bus stoppage 4 2.85 8
Neglect of the traffic police 4 2.85 8
duty
Road digging 4 2.85 8
Unplanned road network 3 2.14 9
Growth of urban population 2 1.42 10
Total 140 100.00
Source: Field Survey 2009

It was mentionable that incorporated the questionnaire to identity the major or main causes of
traffic congestion in Chittagong city and rank them from the total traffic congestion as expressed
by its citizens. There are 13 main causes to contribute the traffic congestions in Chittagong city.
Out of all illegal parking is the main cause of traffic congestion in Chittagong city. Second maim
cause of traffic congestion is the absence of traffic law and enforcement and rest of 11 causes
directly or indirectly enforce the above causes of traffic congestion.

4
Rank size justified t he satisfact ion index.
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Conclusion and Recommendations
The present study reveled that the traffic congestion in Chittagong Metropolitan city has become
a serious problem that leads to the traffic congestion. The causes of traffic congestion and its
affecting results that have prevailed in the city system cannot be addressed in isolation. Since
Chittagong is dramatically changing its structure and concentration of activities gives rise to
concentration of traffic in this city. Most of the respondents are put forward that illegal parking is
the main and major cause of traffic congestion in this city. Chittagong city is the highly
urbanized city but no expansion of area due to high rate of rural to urban migration as result of
increases of urban population in this city. Migratory people are generally engaged in various
informal activities such as rickshaw’s puller, day labor, truck driver, CNG driver, tempo driver
and helper. These people are not aware of the traffic law, rules and regulation of traffic system.
On the other hand unplanned road network and augmentation of all class number of vehicle is the
another cause of traffic congestion and unplanned market, shopping mall, setup of educational
institute and lack of management such as neglect of the traffic police duty fault signal system and
not combination of traffic related origination (CCC, CDA, CMP, and BRTC & BRTA). Now the
time has come to take integrated planning, implementation and management of traffic system.
Driver, passenger and pedestrian should be aware to reduce traffic congestion. Following some
steps can help the authorities for comprehensive management and minimizes the suffering of the
city dwellers from traffic congestion. So the specific recommendations for reducing traffic
congestion from the Chittagong city are given bellow:
 To create rural employment opportunities it reduces the rural urban migration because
over urbanization is the main problem of traffic congestion.
 Modernization of urban transport and educated driver and helper because educated traffic
personnel and modern vehicle reduce traffic congestion.
 To respect traffic law because it helps to the control of over speed, over take, overweight,
over passenger and signal system.
 To take initiatives of traffic road management authority, buildup over bridge and control
trucks and rickshaws.
 Different types of automobiles (i.e. truck, lorry and covered van) should move after 8pm
to 6 am.

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 To reduce personal automobiles usage of public transport, double dicker and more
capacity passenger automobiles.
 Pedestrian should use footpath, zebra crossing, used over bridge, respect to traffic signal
and traffic law.
 To take combined initiatives of various traffic related authorities (i.e. CCC, CMP, CDA,
BRTA & BRTC) it helps to reduce traffic congestion.
 To develop hawker market, because it reduces the hawker and other merchandiser are
holding on the road.
 To create urban employments sectors for rootless people because rootless people are
surviving the rickshaw puller, it’s the major causes of traffic congestion.
 Unnecessary islands are removed on the road.
 Plan wise setup school, college, market and shopping mall and build bypass road near the
institution.
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