Socioeconomic impact of the first Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) in Dhaka

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, has a metropolitan area density of 23,234 per square kilometer (Review, 2020), and it is considered one of the most densely populated megacities in the world. The city contributes 35% to the national economic growth of GDP. However, in this rapidly growing city, the transport management authority has an enormous lack of coordination to adopt; thus, the massive traffic congestion is one of the significant challenges. In 2015, Dhaka's average traffic speed was 6.8 Km/h (RSTP, 2015). According to the BRTA (Bangladesh Road Transport Authority), there are 1.74 million registered motorized vehicles in Dhaka, yet the city is acutely short of the road- space. Population growth trends of 3.8%-4.2%, creating numerous urban problems, have led to Dhaka as one of the ten least liveable cities globally (EUI, August 2016). Globally, Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is widely used as an urban planning tool to maximize transit benefits. Mass Rapid Transport (MRT), as one of the modes of TOD, offers high-density development around stations to combat urban sprawl and socio-economic changes, reduced motorized vehicles, balanced urban growth, and pedestrian facility to enrich the quality of life. A study by Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) identified implanting Transport Oriented Development (TOD) to become a sustainable city is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, and as a UN member country, it is vital for Bangladesh. However, the socio-economic impact of the Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) System is yet to be realized in Dhaka, where most of the development policies are biased by political and donor agendas. This study will investigate the socio-economic impact of the first MRT-6 in Dhaka. The paper concentrate on a Mirpur with three transit stations as the case study.