As the first half of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway is set to be inaugurated on September 2, two Chinese companies have been selected to oversee the operation and maintenance tasks through establishing a new company.
The new firm will deploy high-tech equipment along the entire corridor.
Italian-Thai Development Public Company Limited (ITD) - the private partner for the expressway and the primary entity involved in the first major infrastructure project under the public-private partnership (PPP) framework - has begun the formalities to establish the company named 'First Dhaka Elevated Expressway Operation and Maintenance Company'.
China Shandong International Economic and Technical Cooperation Group (CSI) and Sinohydro Corporation Limited, which currently hold 34- and 15-percent shares in the First Dhaka Elevated Expressway Company Limited, respectively, will undertake the complete operation and maintenance responsibilities.
This effort is aimed at ensuring smooth traffic flow under the contract with ITD.
Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) sources said that ITD will allocate nearly half of its investment for the operation and maintenance, as it has to ensure effective toll collection to recoup the investment along with profit.
Sources also said that the operational and maintenance procedures have been finalised by the lead partner, encompassing manual and electronic toll collection, surveillance system management and overall traffic safety.
Bhaskon Khannabha, managing director of ITD, said some 333 personnel will be working at three departments - traffic, civil and mechanical - in the newly constructed central control building. This includes 73 individuals within the surveillance teams operating from the toll plaza building.
He, however, said around 10 to 15 Chinese personnel will be overseeing management-level tasks.
Sources at the bridge authority - the public partner in the $1.2 billion project - said that the official establishment of the company might take additional time, but highlighted that a majority of the work related to operation and maintenance has been concluded.
The managing director told the FE that under the operation and maintenance framework, the Chinese contractors will ensure that vehicles can pass through toll plazas within five seconds in 90 per cent of cases - a feat made possible by the installation of necessary equipment.
"A five-second passage for each vehicle will be achievable, as the contractors will maintain an adequate amount of change and display the toll amount promptly after the vehicle stops at the plaza lane," he said.
He added that a trial at the toll plaza has already been conducted to ensure smooth operations.
According to the ITD, the partial operation to be conducted from Dhaka Airport to Farmgate will include an image processing detector system and variable message signs on gantries, as well as speed message signs to facilitate the expressway's seamless traffic operation.
The operation and maintenance company will also have an emergency response team to be deployed after the inauguration.
smunima@yahoo.com