The true cost of traffic

It is no big secret that traffic is one of the most pressing issues facing the capital city.

But the problem it causes is not just human misery, it is the toll it takes on productivity.

According to the World Bank, the average traffic speed in Dhaka has reduced from 21kmph to an appalling 7kmph within the last 10 years -- making the current traffic speed just slightly above the average walking speed.

The nation is losing millions of working hours a day because of high-volume traffic, and, without careful, planned decentralisation of major facilities to places outside of Dhaka, we simply cannot go on.

The capital needs to breathe.