Abstract

Air pollution is emerging as a serious threat to human heath and welfare in developing countries especially in the urban areas. Asian cities rank among the worst polluted urban areas in the world. The level of air pollution is extremely bad in Dhaka City. Transportation is one of the most significant sources of air pollution in the urban areas. This paper investigates the role of different types of motor vehicles in the air pollution of Dhaka City. It is observed that the level of emission of pollutants from all types motor vehicles are significantly higher than the same of other countries. The result of the study, reported in this paper, differs from the general view that auto-rickshaw and tempos are the major sources of air-pollution in the city. It is observed that the emission from auto-rickshaw and tempo is less than the same from car when measured in gm/Passenger-km and bus when measured in gm/minute of operation. These measures are important for urban location and transport planning. The paper also proposes a few strategies for vehicle emission control, which include the use of energy efficient vehicles, implementation of better traffic management and land-use planning, and development of environmentally friendly modes.