Performance Evaluation of Public Transportation System: Analyzing the Case of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Performance evaluation of the public transportation system is gaining substantial importance and becoming a prerequisite to making the emerging urban life sustainable. Despite the presence of public transportation since the 1960s, efforts had never been made to evaluate the efficiency of the system in Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh. This research was conducted using performance measurement indicators that are detailed and indispensable in appraising the socio-economic condition of Dhaka city to assess the existing condition and performance of the public transportation system. Service and system efficiency, along with cost, utilization, and network efficiency were measured from both passengers and operator’s perspective for the evaluation process. The quality and the Level of Service found to be meager, which is the same in the case of efficiency for the system, network, and cost. The exception was observed only with the utilization of some system features. The single major cause related to every other problem of the existing transportation situation in the city found to be the congestion in the streets. However, the promising fact about the present system is the initiation of mass rapid transit options and the preparation of separate policy for the public transportation system of Dhaka.