Dhaka city is likely to have five mass rapid transit (MRT) lines instead of the previously-recommended three lines as a remedy of the capital's chronic traffic congestion, officials said.
They said Japanese experts, working since last year to guide the government of the changes in the strategic transport plan (STP), have recommended two additional MRT lines for greater Dhaka city, considering expansion of the city and increase in trips.
The consultants also recommended introducing two bus rapid transit (BRT) lines, cutting one option mentioned in the original STP, without stating any reason.
All these recommendations are going to be compiled in the revised STP (RSTP) to be finalised by September, the officials also said.
Sources at the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), under which the RSTP studies were conducted, said the Japanese experts recently shared their findings with the government.
They recommended the changes for introducing smart urbanisation programme, based on backbone and regional connectivity, with Dhaka metropolitan area.
The areas to be covered are Gazipur, Savar, Narayanganj and eastern fringe to bring future 35 million people under better transportation system till 2035.
They said as scopes for some earlier recommended MRT lines have been limited, following construction of different infrastructures, like - flyovers, new options have been proposed for saving the city from the chronic transportation problem.
"Most of the new proposed MRT lines are recommended to bring wider Rajuk areas under mass transit system to lessen pressure of population in central business district (CBD) areas," said a DTCA official involved with RSTP studies.
RSTP team leader Tamaoki Watanabe, however, refrained from giving comments on their recommendations, shared with the government recently, on the ground that those are yet to get the final approval.
He said, "Now our JICA consultant team is making the revised STP. Some results shown are not final outputs and not yet approved by the government of Bangladesh."
Japanese firms Katahira and Engineers International, Oriental Consultants Global Company Ltd and ALMEC Corporation have been engaged in RSTP to accommodate all the changes for a better transport network.
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is providing technical support to RSTP, recommending transport intervention based on five components.
Officials of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges and the DTCA said there is hardly any scope for change of the recommendations.
They said the JICA team has already started feasibility study to find priority MRT line projects. Already different international firms have shown interest to invest in one MRT line, recommended by the team.
At present, the government is implementing the MRT line-6 recommended in the STP in 2005, for which an investment of around US$ 2.7 billion is expected till 2024.
Sources said if the government approves the recommendations of the RSTP, another seven to eight billion US dollar investment is likely to be needed in the city's transport sector.
However, another study conducted by a JICA-supported team in 2010 after the approval of STP recommended setting up of six MRTs and three BRTs.
The STP, the 20-year transport policy for Dhaka city, was prepared in 2005 and approved in 2009 with a set of recommendations. These included construction of three MRTs and three BRTs along with expressways for an improved transportation system for greater Dhaka.
As different structures were developed shortly after the approval of STP beyond its recommendations, the government felt the necessity to accommodate the changes through studies in the RSTP.
Of the STP-recommended MRT and BRT lines, only MRT line-6 and BRT line-3 have been under process.
MRT Line-6, which is to be called Dhaka Metro, will be set up on Uttara-Motijheel corridor, and it is now at procurement stage. The STP-recommended BRT line-3 will be set up from Gazipur to Jhilmil, and it is now under detailed design level.
As per the draft RSTP, MRT line-1 is being proposed to set up from Gazipur to Jhilmil through Airport-Kamalapur station with a link with Purbachal and Khilkhet.
The MRT line-2 would cover Ashulia, Savar, Gabtoli, Dhaka University, Dhaka South City Corporation and Kamalapur.
The areas Kamalapur to Narayanganj are likely to be covered through MRT line-4 and Bhulta to Mirpur 10 via Badda through MRT line-5. The ongoing MRT line-6 has been proposed to have extension up to Kamalapur from last stoppage at Motijheel.
An official of Dhaka Metro Rail project office said if the new MRT lines are approved, there would not be any need to expand the 20.1 km MRT line-6 up to Sayedabad through behind the Bangladesh Bank.
He said MRT line-4 is likely to link the city with Narayanganj through Jatrabari and Sayedabad.
New option of BRT has been proposed for eastern fringe areas.
Of the five MRTs, the first one has been considered the backbone corridor of Dhaka metropolitan area and the second one as regional corridor connecting Savar with central business district. Only MRT line-5 will have east-west connection.
   smunima@yahoo.com
Five MRT lines suggested to lessen capital’s gridlock
Munima Sultana | Published: July 07, 2015 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00
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