Work for rapid bus service starts in 2012
Implementation of rapid bus service project in the Gazipur to airport route begins early next year and to be completed by the end of 2013, said officials concerned at a workshop at a city hotel yesterday.
Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) jointly organised the workshop on presentation of the draft of final feasibility report on Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Corridor Project.
Md Aminur Rahman Lasker, project director, said the 20-kilometre double-lane rapid bus service (Bus Rapid Transit, BRT) route from Gazipur to Shahjalal International Airport will have a 7-metre wide dedicated lane at the centre of the road.
“We will widen the existing 15-metre road with the land available at RHD’s ownership and also through acquisition of land where necessary for the other commuters,” he said.
Every day one-lakh commuters can use BRT, once built. It will also bring down the uses of private cars.
The project cost has been estimated at US$190 million, of which ADB has proposed 125 million with 28 million co-financing from the bilateral development partners and the rest from government of Bangladesh.
The ADB is funding the feasibility study of the project as a model pilot, while the final report is expected by April, said Lasker.
AKM Mozammel Haque, a lawmaker from Gazipur, said the Dhaka-Gazipur highway is so clogged with traffic load of 29 different routes that it takes three hours to get to the centre of the capital from Gazipur.
The project is an extension of the Airport-Sadarghat BRT route no-3 recommended in the Strategic Transport Plan.
The government, as under constant pressure, will now prioritise to develop rapid mass transportation systems (Mass Rapid Transit, MRT), said Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain who was present at the workshop as chief guest.
Mozammel Haque Khan, secretary to Roads and Railways Division; and Stefan Ekelund, head of Portfolio Management Unit of ADB; among others spoke at the workshop chaired by Shahabuddin, chief engineer of RHD.
