BRT to open by Dec 2022

The country’s first-ever Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit between the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and Gazipur is all set to be opened by December, 2022 with 63.27 per cent physical work progress so far.

A BRT official formally came up with the disclosure on Thursday at a press conference held at the BRT office in the capital.

While addressing the press conference, a project director ASM Elias Shah said, “Since 63.27 per cent of the project is already completed, they are ready to open the long-waited bus corridor between Dhaka Airport to Gazipur by December, 2022.”

In order to ensure comfortable journey for the commuters, BRT authorities will purchase a total of 129 Air-conditioned CNG-run buses at a cost Tk two crore each, he told the press conference

Elias said that the construction work of the project has been delayed due to the complications relating to the land acquisition, relocation of underground and overhead utilities and inadequate drainage system of the existing roads.

In addition, the desired progress of the construction work has not been achieved due to insufficient funds flow from the contractors engaged in the construction work, he added. He also blamed Covid-19 pandemic for the further delay in implementing the project.

In reply to a quarry, PD said that the ongoing idea of handing over the project to the private sector is just for ensuring smooth management, making it profitable and also sustainable.

“BRT cannot be as like as BRTC which is branded for its mismanagement,” he said.

He said that some modification was proposed for new expansion of the project but the change will be possible only after consultation with the Dhaka North city mayor and the Gazipur city mayor.

The first-ever BRT in Bangladesh, a 20.50 km long Dhaka-Gazipur is designed to carry 20,000 passengers per hour within 40 minutes once the project is completed.

The rapid bus corridor included a 4.5 km elevated road, six flyovers, 65 connectivity routes and 25 stations.

There will be two BRT lanes, four mixed traffic lanes, two lanes for non-motorised vehicles and dedicated footpaths for pedestrians with other facilities, according to the project proposal. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council had earlier approved the project in December 2012. But physical work of the project began in April 2017.