The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges (MoRTB) has taken a move to speed up the process of establishing a multimodal transport hub at Gabtoli bus terminal.
It has taken the initiative as part of its plan to set up a mass transit system with the city's northwestern area.
Sources said the move was taken to support a feasibility study being conducted on the bus terminal under the feasibility study on the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line-5 which will be built from Vatara to Natunbazar via Dhaka Cantonment and Banani.
The ministry will also set up a committee comprising all stakeholders of Gabtoli bus terminal to get their opinions on the proposed transport hub.
They said apart from this, a survey on and around the terminal will also be conducted to take necessary decisions about possible facilities for the terminal hub to make sure of resettlement and rehabilitation of the affected-people.
"We have already started carrying out the feasibility study on MRT-5 under which the feasibility on setting up of the multimodal transport hub at Gabtoli bus terminal will be assessed. The ministry's move to form the committee and conduct the survey is to support the study," said an official.
He said all these things will help the government take right decision and go for right option about comfortable journey of commuters in and outside the city.
The government has plans to transform two bus terminals and two railway stations into multimodal transport hubs to help commuters in getting desired modes of vehicles under a roof.
This is also called as 'transfer desk for commuters of one transport user to another'.
Dhaka Mass Transit Company (DMTC) is working to set up the multimodal transport hub at Airport railway station and Kamalapur railway station under MRT-1 project.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) has already completed the study and detailed the design to set up Mohakhali Bus Terminal under its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line-3 project. These terminals will also support the BRT line to help commuters reach the city from Gazipur.
Sources said the latest move to form the committee with all stakeholders and conduct the survey on the Gabtoli bus terminal was taken to complete the development project proposal for MRT-5 within the stipulated time.
They said Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), development partner of the MRT-5, as well as other partners in the minutes signed in December last recommended completing DPP by June next.
The Gabtoli bus terminal has several stakeholders apart from terminal owner Dhaka North City Corporation.
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