The Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is set to be revised the fourth time with a significant increase in both time and cost for a number of reasons that include wrong planning and design from the beginning.
The other reasons include a wrong selection of contractors and a lack of visionary steps by the previous government.
"A significant amount of money may be needed to make BRT functional," said Road Transport and Highways Division Senior Secretary Mohammad Ehsanul Hoque without mentioning the figure.
He told The Financial Express as a significant amount of money has already been spent on implementing the project, there is now no option other than completing it and making the important corridor operational.
The project's deadline set during the previous revision expired in December 2024. However, 3-5 per cent of the civil work remained incomplete, and bus corridor operational activities could not be started even after 12 years.
The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has proposed extending the deadline by another four years to complete the rest of the civil work and make the corridor operational as the three previous revised development project proposals (DPPs) had no scope for bus operation and maintenance, according to officials.
Sources said the project, which already saw its cost rise to Tk 42.86 billion from the initial Tk 20.38 billion, is likely to need an additional Tk 29 billion to complete the unfinished work in the next four years.
Officials said the new estimated cost is at the preliminary stage, adding that another four years along with the defects liability period would be needed to procure buses and make bus services functional with maintenance facilities.
A total of 187 buses would be procured, and the intelligent transportation system (ITS) would have to be set up on the 20km corridor for operation. More equipment will be needed for maintenance, they added.
"The proposed Tk 29 billion cost increase is at the initial stage and will be discussed with all stakeholders before finalising the revised DPP," said an official involved in the project, preferring not to be named.
Of the extra cost, the French Development Agency (AFD) would provide a total of 100 million euros, he said, adding around Tk 9 billion would be needed to acquire more land for the bus depot.
A piece of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) land is now being used for the bus depot in the Gazipur side. It was taken on a lease but has to be acquired now, the official also said.
Besides, another depot needs to be set up in the Dhaka airport side, but its location has not been finalised yet, he added.
The RHD sent the fourth revision of the DPP to the Road Transport and Highways Division for a review on the last working day before the Eid-ul-Fitr holiday began.
Since 2012, the project has been under implementation as part of the Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project, which aims to develop a bus-based mass transit corridor from Gazipur to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The BRT project was taken before completing the main city BRT project, which was supposed to be developed from Dhaka airport to Sayedabad first. The Dhaka airport-Sayedabad segment, also known as BRT 3 under the Strategic Transport Plan (STP), was abandoned by the previous Awami League government.
The RHD is the lead implementing agency. However, Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) and the Local Government Engineering Department are also involved in the project to develop elevated roads and for depot land development.
Though the DPP was revised three times since approval, the tenure was extended several times due to very slow implementation by the two Chinese companies - China Gezhouba Group Corporation and Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering Group Co Ltd - involved in the project.
The project was delayed as the Chinese contractors were awarded by RHD and BBA at much lower than the engineering cost as part of abiding by the Public Procurement Rules (PPR).
Besides, the Chinese contractors also sought extra money and time in the face of various losses, including vandalism during the 2024 student-led movement.
Officials said apart from procuring equipment for the ITS, as well as operation and maintenance of the corridor and buses, the project will have the scope for introducing electric buses in the corridor.
Additional land acquisition may also be needed for the depot site to accommodate the 187 buses, they added.
Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit PLC started the process of bus procurement two years ago. But even after floating tenders twice, it is yet to finally select the company the buses will be procured from.
The Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project is being implemented with financial support from the Asian Development Bank. AFD is providing support for buying the buses.
smunima@yahoo.com
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