Almost a year and a half since its inauguration, the Karnaphuli Tunnel continues to incur huge losses due to much lower traffic than the estimation amid a lack of initiatives to implement the "one city, two towns" concept.
According to the latest toll collection data, 3,000 vehicles on average use the tunnel daily, much lower than 17,000 estimated in the feasibility study.
Moreover, the study projected 28,305 vehicles on average would use the tunnel daily by 2025, and 37,946 by 2030.
The tunnel saw the highest daily traffic of 9,856 vehicles on November 3, 2023, which later dropped to over 2,000.
In March this year, Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) collected Tk 29.9 million in tolls from the 92,495 vehicles, mostly cars and microbuses, using the tunnel. 3,083 vehicles on average used the 3.32km tunnel both ways that month.
Being the executive agency, BBA incurs daily losses of Tk 1.2 million on average against the expected daily income of Tk 3.5 million.
Besides, it has to spend Tk 1.13 million per day on operation and maintenance (O and M) as it signed a Tk 6.83 billion O and M contract for five years in 2023.
China Communications Construction Company Limited, which constructed the tunnel, was awarded the O and M work.
BBA completed the country's first-ever underwater tunnel under the Karnaphuli River at a cost of Tk 102.55 billion, which was inaugurated on October 28, 2023.
The agency's total income from the tunnel till April 4 this year was Tk 552 million.
Developing a new township on the other side of Chattogram, akin to China's Shanghai, was the aim of the project.
As part of that, a Chinese economic zone was expected to be developed, while constructing 20 kilometres of roads was supposed to shorten the distance between Chattogram and the tourist town of Cox's Bazar by 40km.
However, neither of the projects has started yet, according to sources.
"There has been no development on the Anwara side yet, while the current condition of the connecting roads is not good either. The roads are not suitable for easy traffic movement," Bridges Division Secretary Mohammad Abdur Rouf told The Financial Express in response to why the tunnel is getting lower-than-expected traffic even after 17 months since its opening.
Though BBA is bearing losses in the high-interest, Chinese-funded project, it has yet to take steps to engage all the agencies concerned to speed up the process of making the tunnel a vibrant passage.
Following the Chinese president's visit to Bangladesh, the project was taken in 2016 considering that a Chinese economic zone would be developed in Anwara.
Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority and China Road and Bridge Corporation signed a memorandum of understanding for the zone on August 15, 2022.
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority officials now expect a development in this regard in light of Chief Adviser Professor Mohammad Yunus' recent China visit. Roads and Highways Department (RHD) officials said the 20km road from Barkal to Sikalbaha could not be developed as they did not get funds.
Sources said the RHD took initiatives to begin the road's construction in time, but it was delayed due to changes in the modality of funding from public-private partnership to foreign aid.
Rouf, also the BBA executive director, said a 2.11km connecting road at the Gachhbaria point has to be developed to make communication easy.
"As the tunnel's long-term economic benefits are undeniable, we are planning to hold a meeting with all concerned to speed up the development work centring it," he said.
The meeting would also try to identify the scope for development on the Anwara side, he added.
smunima@yahoo.com
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