In Dhaka, one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, Dhaka Metro Rail (DMR) is going to be the first inner-city rail transit service, and its first line, MRT Line 6, is due to open by December 2022. The DMR is expected to ease endemic traffic congestion and poor mobility within Dhaka. As we know that large-scale mass transit projects like the DMR affect travel conditions in the entire city, and not just along their routes. They also have citywide impacts on housing markets, air pollution, gender equality, labor market informality, population decentralization, and the city’s long-term growth among others. However, a comprehensive assessment of a transportation infrastructure project is rarely undertaken by governments or donors despite its importance for sustainable development.
The Dhaka Metro Rail is a mass rapid transit system that has been implemented to address the significant traffic challenges in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. The initial phase of MRT Line 6 became operational on December 29, 2022, connecting Uttara and Agargaon. The objective of this project is to assess the impact of the metro rail system on businesses and households. This assessment focuses on four key indicators: living costs, mobility, travel time expenses, and environmental impacts.
Structured questionnaires were administered using the SurveyCTO computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) software, facilitated by an experienced team. The end-line survey commenced in May 2023, including a listing survey, business end-line survey, and household end-line survey. Upon completion and data cleaning, the actual number of surveys conducted will be determined.
Sample Size:
Listing survey-15888,
Household survey-1601,
Business survey-1608
Type of Research: Impact Study
Field of Research: Socio-economic development
Stage of Research: Endline survey ongoing
Principal Investigators:
Dr. Abu Shonchoy (Associate Professor, Florida International University),
Dr. Tomoki Fujji (Associate Professor and Dean, Singapore Management University),
Dr. Prottoy Aman Akbar (Assistant Professor, Aalto University), and
Arpita Khanna (Ph.D. candidate, Singapore Management University).
Partners:
Singapore Management University