ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC COSTS OF EMERGING ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION FROM TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN CHATTOGRAM CITY=ЕКОЛОГІЧНІ ТА ЕКОНОМІЧНІ ВИТРАТИ ЗАБРУДНЕННЯ АТМОСФЕРИ В РЕЗУЛЬТАТІ ДОРОЖНІХ ПРОБОК У МІСТІ CHATTOGRAM

Abstract

Chattogram is the second largest city in Bangladesh. Urbanization triggers the rapid increase in population and vehicle numbers as well. The ultimate effect is the rise in traffic congestion leads to excess fuel consumption and pollution load to the atmosphere. The present study finds out the opportunity costs, vehicle operating costs and negative externality costs for the five most pollution generating vehicles at two peak traffic times/day in Chattogram. Among the available transports, the highest value of time (VoT) was revealed for car (Bangladeshi Taka 85/peak/hr) followed by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) auto-rickshaw (Bangladeshi Taka 70/peak/hr). The total opportunity cost (OC) per peak/day found Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) 1.391 million and was maximum for bus (0.576 million). In two peak traffic times (8–10 am and 5–9 pm), maximum opportunity cost was observed during the evening for all vehicles at all locations and it was highest for bus (BDT 0.424 million/peak/day) at Agrabad. Vehicle operating cost (VOC) also found higher for bus (0.778 million/peak/day).