BRT project work may resume after one more week

The troubled BRT project may take one more week to resume its field work that remained suspended since the tragic accident at Uttara site on August 15, leaving five members of a family dead.
Restarting the field works will be delayed as the consultants and financier of the project are yet to be satisfied with the measures taken by the two Chinese contractors, sources said.
Though the contractors have put up barricades along the corridor from Airport to Joydevpur to block the construction sites as per the safety plan, they said the contractors did not ensure adequate measures at the site, including deployment experts enough to ensure safety.
They, however, said the safety plan submitted by China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) was approved by construction supervision consultant (CSC) after reviewing it, but the ADB will now oversee the arrangements to ensure 100 per cent safety.
"The contractors have to ensure 100 per cent safety … no more injury, no more casualty, and no more accidents will be allowed. Until that is ensured and all are confident enough, the contractors will not be allowed to resume the work," said an official at the consultant firm, preferring not to be named.
When asked about the tentative time for resuming the project work, he said it might take another week as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the financier of the project, will conduct an investigation on the safety measures taken on site.
However, the project officials said the contractors are allowed to work on the pavement near the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) and some other parts as those remain undone before the accident.
These works are necessary to ensure smooth traffic movement.
Project Director ASM Ilias Shah also admitted that the contractors are yet to complete enough safety measures needed to be taken. "Some barricades are still to be put up," he told the FE over phone.
The PD said the CGGC was working on the part of pavement like that of the intersection near the HSIA as those remained unfinished and affecting the traffic movement.
Consultant sources said the contractors have been directed to bring more professionals like bridge engineers, safety people, crane operators and safety engineers.
Though some have already arrived, the number is not enough, they added.
"At least 10 more professional safety engineers and professional staff of international standard are needed that are subject to be brought by the contractors," according to the consultant.
The RHD has been developing the 20.1 km BRT corridor since 2016. The CGGC is constructing the 16km surface road along with stations and Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering Group Co Ltd is responsible for 4.5 km elevated road under the BBA.

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