674

Paper ID: TE-010

International Conference on Recent Innovation in Civil Engineering for Sustainable Development
(IICSD-2015)
Department of Civil Engineering
DUET - Gazipur, Bangladesh

Assessment of Pedestrian Perception Towards Pedestrian Crossing Facilities

in Dhaka Metropolitan City: A Study Based on Observation and Survey

I.R. Ahmed1, A.R. Mondal2 and A.U. Noor3

Abstract
Every human trip starts and ends with walking. Walking trips share the majority of all short trips made,
particularly in a densely populated and developing country like Bangladesh. Walking in Dhaka City
inevitably involves crossing a road where the risk of pedestrian-vehicle conflict is the maximum. In the
past 15 years, 28,444 pedestrian casualties have been reported, comprising 33.6% of total traffic
casualties. This paper aims at determining the percentage of pedestrians using crossing facilities and the
percentage of jaywalkers. Behavioral investigation of pedestrians at eight hazardous locations in Dhaka
City was carried out through field observation and a questionnaire survey was conducted with 317
respondents. The study shows that 44.91% pedestrians cross at midblock without using a crossing facility.
Popular reasons for not using an overpass were discomfort due to steepness, higher time consumption
and unaesthetic environment. Provided the freedom to choose, majority of the users preferred to use at-
grade crossing, followed by overpass and underpass. The study provides specific recommendations to
provide feasible solutions to promote pedestrian facilities by designing user friendly facilities, improving
efficiency of signalized intersections and exploring other appropriate pedestrian crossing options with a
view to building a safe, efficient and pedestrian friendly Dhaka City.

Keywords: Accidents; crossing; jaywalking; pedestrian; planning; safety; walking.

1. Background Of The Study

Walking is the most popular and simplest form of transportation. Yet, pedestrians are a vulnerable
group of people and when it comes to one's decision to walk, safety concerns are a natural barrier.
With over 500 million cars and trucks in use, the World Health Organization WHO reported that the
world loses over 1.2 million people annually and 50 million are injured because of motor vehicle
crashes. The estimated economic loss is more than US$ 500 billion [1].

Vulnerable Road Users, particularly non-motorized transport viz. pedestrians, bicycles and cycle
rickshaws play a vital role in urban transport in much of Asia, Bangladesh in particular. They account
for around 80 percent of urban travel. Despite their outstanding contribution as travel modes, they are
constantly being exposed to significant safety threats. Nearly 80 percent of urban road traffic accident
fatalities are attributed to these users groups [2]. Among the various modes seen in Dhaka, walking is
one of the main modes of transport, with 60% of trips made by foot and only 4% by car [3]. It is
because 76% of all trips are under 5 km, and 50% under 2 km [4], which makes walking the most
convenient mode of transport.

Peoples movement in Metropolitan Dhaka under Strategic Transport Plan showed walking as one of
the predominant modes with a share of 22% of total person trips (STP, 2005-2025). Unfortunately, the
most vulnerable user group in the streets of Dhaka are the pedestrians, which can be clearly perceived
from the data of Accident Research Institute, BUET. From 1998 to 2013, 84,655 people were killed in
traffic crashes. In these 15 years, 28,444 pedestrians were killed in traffic crashes in Bangladesh,
1
Undergraduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, BUET / ishraqrayeed@gmail.com
2
Undergraduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, BUET / amit.armondal@gmail.com
3
Undergraduate Student, Department of Civil Engineering, BUET / albab.un.noor@gmail.com

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representing 33.6% of all the people that died in traffic crashes. And 50% of the total pedestrian
fatalities were caused while crossing the road [5]. Bangladesh Police HQ conducted some road
accident surveys from 2003 to 2010 in Bangladesh. They reported 45,616 casualties during these 8
years. They also showed that pedestrians were involved in about 70% of road accidents [6].

While walking is considered as the most sustainable and environment friendly transport mode, the
policy makers happen to emphasize on private car, bus and pedestrian in the respective order in
transportation planning of Dhaka City owing to some incomprehensible reasons. In order to develop a
sustainable transportation system in Metropolitan Dhaka, this order should be reversed. To minimize
the pedestrian fatality rate, it's vital to make provisions for safe and convenient mobility of pedestrians,
particularly while crossing the road. Analyzing field investigation, questionnaire survey and in-depth
analysis of pedestrian fatality statistics based on police crash reports, the key factors influencing a
pedestrians decision and preference have been presented in this study.

2. Literature Review

Numerous researchers have studied the behavior and mobility of pedestrians at intersections and/or at
other crossing locations. Rosenbloom et al. [7] applied roadside observations to investigate the
differences in pedestrians behaviour by observing two entirely different urban places in terms of
religion. Results showed that young and male pedestrians have a tendency to commit violations.
Another study also supports the above results (Bernhoft and Carstensen, [8]) by concluding that older
pedestrians appreciate sidewalks and crossing facilities much more than younger pedestrians.

Holland and Hill [9] tested for age and gender differences in road crossing decisions within a theory
of planned behavior analysis including intention, situation and risk perception effects on pedestrian.
Avineria et al. [10] showed that age differences have significant effects on pedestrian behavior at
crosswalks and crossing speed is largely explained by age and gender. Rosenbloom et al. [11] studied
crossing behavior of children and found that not looking was the most prevalent unsafe behavior,
followed by the combination of not looking and not stopping, and not stopping before crossing.
They also found that children accompanied by an adult committed more unsafe behaviors, especially
when not holding hands with the adult.

There are few studies on pedestrian behavior in Dhaka City. Rahman et al. [12] tried to measure the
level of service (LOS) of walkways in Dhaka city. The study explored the qualitative level of comfort
of the pedestrian in Dhaka city by offering six broad categories of roadside walking environment. On
the other hand it focused the choice of pedestrian regarding some prescribed criteria only on the
walkways of Dhaka city. Saha et al. [13] assessed relative significance of the problems of different
road crossing facilities of Dhaka City using Analytical Hierarchy Process by expert opinion survey.
Pasha et al. [14] also carried out a similar study and used logistic regression model to analyze
preferences of pedestrians.

It is evident from the literature that lots of studies have been carried out for modelling the pedestrian
behaviour in different roadway sections across different cities of the world. However, there has not
been any elaborated study in Dhaka City showing the behaviour of pedestrians and their preferences
while crossing the road. This study aims to fill the gap, lead to a better understanding of the pedestrian
crossing behaviour and support the policy makers in undertaking appropriate decisions to improve the
road crossing facilities of Dhaka City.

3. Methodology and Data

3.1. Data Collection through Observation

Dhaka City has three types of road crossing facilities: Overpass, Underpass and At Grade Crossing.
Dhaka City Corporation has a total of 70 foot over-bridges in the city (DCC, 2014). And there are

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only four underpasses for pedestrians at Gulistan intersection, Gabtoli Bus Terminal, Sayedabad
(Dhalpur) and Karwan Bazar (DSCC, 2014). An investigation was done to observe the percentage of
pedestrians who use the road crossing facilities and those who do not. This investigation was limited
to only 8 road crossing facilities due to time and manpower constraints. They are situated at different
locations of Dhaka city and can be considered as eligible representatives. These locations also include
some of the most hazardous intersections of Dhaka City (Hazardous Intersections, DMP 2009-2014).
The investigation was carried out for one hour at each intersection.

3.2. Data Collection through Questionnaire Survey

A total of 317 pedestrians were surveyed, 20 from each study area during the pilot survey and 157
through online survey. Sample at field was collected in two categories- (i) pedestrian who obey the
rules and (ii) pedestrian who violates the rules. 75% of the respondents were male, 64% were aged
within 16-25, 25% within 26-40 and 11% were above 40 years. From the questionnaire survey,
prominent problems for each system as perceived by the pedestrians have been identified and
presented.

4. Results & Discussion

The number of pedestrians counted at the 8 road crossing facilities was 23612. Overall 55.09% of the
pedestrians were found to be using facilities, while the remaining 44.91% of the people did not use the
pedestrian FOB/underpass (Table-1). A pedestrian was considered as a sample if the target person was
within 15.24m distance in either direction from the crossing facilities.

Table-1. Percentage Of Pedestrians Not Using A Crossing Facility

% Of
Crossing Pedestrians Pedestrians Total
Pedestrians
Location Facility Using Not Using Pedestrian
Not Using
Type Facility Facility Count
Facility
Bangla Motor Overpass 524 804 1328 60.54
Karwan Bazar Underpass 2760 0 2760 0.00
Shyamoli Overpass 1260 1388 2648 52.42
Farmgate Overpass 1906 919 2825 32.53
New Market Overpass 1356 1936 3292 58.81
Uttara Overpass 2216 1391 3061 45.44
Banani Overpass 968 1880 2848 66.01
Badda Overpass 2172 1293 2968 43.56
Total 13162 10450 23612 44.91

On the contrary, at Banani area, 66.01% pedestrians are not using the pedestrian over bridge. In this
area, though both roadside barrier and median barrier are observed, however, these measures are
unsuccessful to resist pedestrians from jaywalking, because the overpass is located at some distance
from the intersection, which is the most popular section for crossing. It is to be noted that the Banani
overpass has escalators provided at both sides to encourage its use by the pedestrians, apparently
producing no significant effect. The scenario is same at Bangla Motor FOB where 60.54% of
pedestrians are not using pedestrian overpass.

Among the eight locations, we found the least percentage of pedestrians not using the road crossing
facilities in Karwan Bazar area. This is the only underpass considered in this study. Near this location,
road side barrier is provided beside pedestrian path, so that people cannot enter to the mid-block
section. The reasons behind the effectiveness of this underpass is probably because there are no
hawkers, entrance is quite wide, well maintenance, good lighting facilities and a higher number of

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pedestrians keeping a constant flow provides a sense of security.

Badda
Banani
Uttara
New Market Total
Farmgate Pedestrians
Jaywalkers
Shyamoli
Karwan Bazar
Bangla Motor

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500

NO. OF PEDESTRIANS

Fig. 1. Pedestrian Behaviour At 8 Hazardous Intersections of Dhaka City

During the field and questionnaire survey, every pedestrian has mentioned some factors and ranked
them on a priority basis. By weighted index method the weighted values of factors have been sum up
to have the composite values of the factors. Depending on the composite values, the factors have been
ranked in descending order (Table 2), in which Safety is the most predominant factor considered by a
pedestrian while crossing the road followed by required time.

Table-2. Ranking Of Factors Considered By Pedestrians While Crossing A Road

Frequency of Factors Weighted Value of Factors

Weight
Priority Comfort & Comfort &
Value Time Safety Time Safety
Convenience Convenience
Priority 1 3 55 39 223 165 117 669
Priority 2 2 119 130 68 238 260 136
Priority 3 1 135 157 25 135 157 25
Composite Value of Factors 538 534 830
Ranking of the Factors 2nd 3rd 1st

To find out the preference hierarchy of the pedestrian towards the different crossing systems in Dhaka
city, they have been asked to scale the preference level of different crossing systems as Most
Preferable, Preferable and Less Preferable. Then again the weighted index method has been used to
find out the composite score of a particular crossing type (Table 3).

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Table-3. Ranking Of Pedestrian Preferences While Choosing A Facility

Frequency of Factors Weighted Value of Factors

Level of Weight
Preference Value At At
Overpass Underpass Overpass Underpass
Grade Grade
Most
3 163 119 35 489 357 105
Preferable
Preferable 2 83 102 132 166 204 264
Less
1 96 99 122 96 99 122
Preferable
Composite Value of Factors 751 660 491
Ranking of the Factors 1st 2nd 3rd

4.1. First Preference At Grade

From the composite score of the responses of the pedestrians, it has been found that, the at grade road
crossing system is in the first preference level. Comfort (67%) and Time Saving (39%) are the most
prominent positive reasons acknowledged by the respondents. Despite the positive feedback,
pedestrians have identified some problems as well - Insufficient Number of At-Grade Crossings
(51.3%), Long Waiting Time due to Traffic Signals (48.7%) and High Risk Of Vehicular Collisions
(46.1%).

4.2. Second Preference Overpass

Safety (41%), Security (23%) and Comfort (21%) have been identified as the major positive
characteristics of overpass. It has been stated earlier that, Safety is the most predominant factor
considered by a pedestrian while crossing the road, which is clearly exhibited by an overpass. And yet,
most pedestrians prefer Jaywalking over using overpass for the following reasons - Discomfort Due
To Steepness (67%), Time Consuming (45.2%), Unaesthetic Environment (38.3%) and Lack Of
Security (38.3%).

4.3. Third Preference - Underpass

Pedestrian considered underpass as the least preferable road crossing system. The most influencing
factors for not choosing an overpass is the Lack of Security (67%), Unaesthetic Environment (48.5%)
and Insufficient Lighting and Ventilation (46.1%). However, from the point of pedestrian safety,
Underpass could have been the most suitable, safe and convenient road crossing facility, provided the
well maintenance and security like that of Karwan Bazar.

5. Recommendations & Conclusion

Among the three road crossing systems, at grade crossing is preferred by most pedestrians followed
by overpass and underpass. And the rationales behind pedestrian preference are revealed in this study.
Moreover, it has identified some shortcomings associated with the pedestrian crossing systems in
Dhaka city along with acknowledging some positive characteristics of the road crossing systems that
influence the pedestrians to use the systems.

Lack of Safety is one of the main problems for at grade crossings. To solve the problem, the signal
system must be maintained properly either by the electronic signal system or manually by the traffic
police. Pedestrian crossing signs have to be provided at intersections and at link depending on the
particular situation. Though use of underpass is relatively a new trend in our country, it can be a very
effective solution in pedestrian road crossing system. To make this system more effective, security of
the pedestrians must be ensured. At the same time, it should be properly designed to avoid the water
logging inside the underpass due to rainfall. Regular maintenance must be ensured along with
providing sufficient light and ventilation.

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It is obvious that rising along steep stairs of an overpass is difficult for the aged pedestrians and
children. So its important to design overpass carefully with minimum height of the risers in order to
minimize the physical trauma of the pedestrians. More overpasses with escalators can be constructed
in different parts of the city with a view to promote their use. Generally people feel more secured
when they have a clear vision. In Dhaka city, some overpasses are curtained by advertisement banners
which create insufficient light, as well as a sense of insecurity. So the advertisement banners must be
allotted by law to ensure proper vision of the users. Based on the situation observed and survey, strict
law enforcement along with public awareness campaigns, should be taken as the top most priority.
Most importantly, strategic integration of Pedestrian Safety into the transport planning process can
help us build a safe, secure and pedestrian friendly Dhaka City.

6. References

[1] World Health Organization, World Health Organization (WHO) Report, 2010.
[2] Haque, M.M., Mahmud, S.M.S., Qazi, A.S., Dealing With VRU Safety And Mobility In Urban
Areas Of Bangladesh. in Proceedings of CODATU XIII, 13th International Conference of
Cooperation For Urban Mobility In The Developing World, 2008.
[3] Hoque, M., and J. Alam, Report on Urban Transport Issues and Improvement Options in
Bangladesh, 2002.
[4] Barkat, A., W. Karim, A.H. Sarker, S. Hoque, and A. Poddar, After Study On The Impact Of
Mirpur Demonstration Corridor Project: HDRC (Gabtoli-Russel Square), Prepared For Dhaka
Transport Coordination board on September, 2004.
[5] Accident Research Institute, BUET, ARI Safety Facts, 2013
[6] Hoque, M. M., The Road to Road Safety: Issues and Initiatives in Bangladesh. Regional Health
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[7] Rosenbloom, T., Nemrodov, D., Barkan, H. 2004.For heavens sake follow the rules:
pedestrians behaviour in an ultra- orthodox and a non-orthodox city, Transportation Research
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[8] Bernhoft, I. M., & Carstensen, G. 2008, Preferences and behaviour of pedestrians and cyclists
by age and gender, Transportation Research Part F, vol. 11, pp. 8395.
[9] Holland, C., & Hill, R. 2007. The effect of age, gender and driver status on pedestrians
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[10] Avineri E., Shinar D. & Susilo Y. O. 2012.Pedestrians behaviour in cross walks: The effects
of fear of falling and age, Accident Analysis and Prevention, vol.44, pp. 3034.
[11] Rosenbloom, T., Ben-Eliyahu, A., & Nemrodov, D. 2008.Childrens crossing behavior with an
accompanying adult, Safety Science, vol. 46, pp. 12481254.
[12] Rahman, D. K., Afrin, S., & Alum, A. 2006. How safe are the walkways in Dhaka city? An
empirical study,Road Safety in Developing Countries,Accident Research Center, BUET,
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[13] Saha, M.K., Tishi, T.R., Islam, M.S., Mitra, S.K., "Pedestrian Behavioral Pattern and
Preferences in Different Road Crossing Systems of Dhaka City", Journal of Bangladesh
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[14] Pasha, M.M., Rifaat, S.M., Hasnat, A., Rahman, I., Pedestrians Behaviour on Road Crossing
Facilities, Jurnal Teknologi, 73:4 (2015), pp. 77-83.

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