The government has finalised the draft of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Act providing special rights of land acquisition for projects like Padma Bridge and Metro Rail to the authorities concerned and provision for punishment to offenders under criminal procedure.
Sources said the BRT Act 2016 is set to be placed for approval in the cabinet next week with the target to place it as a bill in the parliament during the ongoing budget session.
They said the Act has already got approval of the Road Transport and Bridges (RTB) minister following vetting from the Ministry of Law.
Earlier the cabinet had approved the BRT Act 2016 in principle on March 7 last.
Official sources said the Act is important to plan, execute and operate the mass transport system in the city with the capacity of carrying 20,000 passengers within an hour in a corridor.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has taken a project to introduce the first BRT line from Gazipur to Uttara at a cost of Tk 20.39 billion.
Another BRT line from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) to Jhilmil project has also been under the plan but its execution is in doubt due to complication over acquiring land and non-cooperation from different government agencies that are taking up conflicting projects.
The sources said the BRT Act has given the authorities a special provision to acquire land and to punish individuals and operating companies for disrupting and obstructing passenger movement and security through mobile courts.
Any crime, investigation, judiciary and appeal or other issues concerned will be applicable under the CrPC without making the provision of the act irrelevant.
Besides, under the Act, a special committee will fix or re-fix the fare of the BRT and insurance of bus, passengers and the third party has been made mandatory.
The 20-kilometre BRT line from Gazipur to HSIA is now being implemented through RHD, Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) and Local Government Engineering Department.
BBA will be responsible for constructing the elevated road while LGED for constructing bus terminals.
Though the depot development work of the RHD's BRT line has already been started, Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority is yet to complete the design of another BRT line named BRT-3.
It is initially planned to be constructed up to Sadarghat as per the strategic transport plan, but its route was diverted to Jhilmil project in Keraniganj due to inability of the authorities to acquire land.
It is alleged that due to non-cooperation from Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha and LGED, the BRT-3 could not see the light.
The World Bank, which has so far been providing technical support to the project, remains silent about financing the BRT.
The BRT is considered to be a comparatively cheap mass transport system in the world but it has become a costly project in the country due to unplanned roads and illegal grabbing of roadside lands.
The government enacted a similar act on Metro Rail or Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) in 2014.
RTB ministry sources said the BRT Act is also drafted in line with the MRT Act after taking opinions from all concerned including the Prime Minister's Office, ministries of Finance, Home, Land, Local Government, Commerce, Health and Family Welfare, Energy and Mineral Resources, Shipping and Power Division.
