Traffic Insanity in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka ranks as the second dirtiest city in the world according to a study by Forbes Magazine, which I was unaware of while staying with a good friend in his hometown, the capital of Bangladesh.

It was virtually impossible to escape the city's grasp. I noted my own informal observations of its condition, accompanied by anecdotal tales from my Bengali friend.

Even more so than Bangladesh's number one attraction, its people, I was in awe of Dhaka traffic. The Forbes study attributes lead-poisoned air from traffic congestion as the key factor, which continues to worsen with vehicles emitting fatal amounts of air pollutants daily.

Dhaka Traffic

It's a long-running competition among travelers to debate which city in the world has the worst drivers. Aggressive Italians? Older American women? Bangkok's fearless tuk-tuk drivers? I'll confidently cast my vote for Dhaka, Bangladesh.

[youtube https://youtube.com/watch?v=Z5p_8_nUg44&version=3&hl=en_US]

Although chaotic, it's organized chaos on the barely paved, potholed Dhaka roads, with unofficial rules most drivers choose to ignore, but later accept the hard way. ErrrRRR...crash!

It's common knowledge that buses and trucks always have the right of way. They will utterly destroy anything else on the road that tries to challenge their destined path.

However, this rule becomes complicated because the bus exteriors are assembled from soldered scrap metal. Therefore, the driver cares less about minor crashes that would damage his vehicle.

The general population's behavior balances this arrogance. Hundreds of Bengalis will focus their rage against the bus driver after an accident, even if the bus driver is not at fault.

Hence, the bus drivers fear for their lives because ordinary Bengali pedestrians, car drivers, and rickshaw drivers adopt the mob mentality, eager to each throw a punch at a driver until death.

If given the opportunity, the bus drivers avoid a beating by abandoning the vehicle, escaping on foot, or speeding away.

Next are the cars driven by a few middle-class people and wealthy private citizens. These drivers act like they own the road, absolutely despising pedestrians, CNG, and rickshaws blocking their way.

While riding in my friend's car, we mistakenly, though gently, hit a female pedestrian who had the right-of-way. My friend honked, screamed his favorite obscenities, and continued driving while the woman stood expressionless. Private cars will also cut off rickshaws and CNGs whenever possible.

CNGs are actually motorcycles with attached cages built of the same scrap metal also used for bus exteriors. They are small enough to maneuver through busy streets and are common because they are the cheapest form of motorized taxi, as low as $2 for a 45-minute ride through traffic.

Fun fact: The CNG cages were only installed in the past five years due to thieves mugging passengers.

Finally, we have the rickshaws, which are bicycles with carts attached. They are ideal for short distances and even cheaper than the CNGs, at 25 cents for a 10-minute journey. Keep in mind that CNGs charge a minimum price that is far greater than a rickshaw's.

Except for pedestrians, the rickshaws are the turds of the road. They drive the slowest and are smaller than most everything else on the road. They stick to one side, except during traffic when they drive like a person with a mental health condition in a straitjacket.

I should also mention that there are other vehicles, such as motorcycles. Riding one of these in Dhaka traffic is suicide.

The first time I saw one riding through traffic, I mentally noted how dangerous it looked. Ten minutes later, we passed the same motorcycle lying on the road, blocking traffic after a major crash!

The only times I saw horses and buggies on the road were when they had children driving them. It seems like good practice before graduating to a rickshaw!

It's a slow day at work for this street vendor. After his shift, he rides his bicycle with the goods attached to the back, trying to survive the endless number of other bicyclists and drivers doing the same.

Oh no, it's not over yet. Many Bengalis travel by water through the city to transport products or avoid the never-ending traffic.

Some people even live under the bridges. Even without a motorboat, it appeared that one of these paddle boats could arrive at a destination in less time than it would take with road transportation, given the lack of traffic.

People are everywhere. The Buringanga River is used by small paddle boats, as well as some bigger ferries and ships. The river is Dhaka's main outlet for sewage waste, and up to 80% of Dhaka's sewage is untreated.

In addition to sewage, several industries spew chemical waste into the river. A paddle boat down the river may be Dhaka's most dangerous form of transportation.

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About the Author: Jason Batansky is a location-independent traveler running two full-time businesses. His blog, Locationless Living, combines writing about his sustainable travel and business. His latest site is Flashpacker Guy.