DTCA to become BUTA

A new law has been drafted to convert Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) into Bangladesh Urban Transport Authority (BUTA) aiming to bring all divisional cities under a planned transport system.
Officials said the act would also consider upgrading of the DTCA to a wider range of integration of transport related projects with all related agencies and ensuring passenger-friendly transport system with the provisions of penalty against the violators.
Earlier, Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) was converted into the DTCA. Though DTCA Act 2012 has been enacted, it lacks the provision of actions against the law violators.
The DTCA has already posted the draft of BUTA Act 2019 on its website, inviting comments from all concerned.
However, the move has drawn criticism as the DTCA could not play its active role due to lack of capacity even after its conversion from DTCB.
Transport expert Mohammad Shamsul Hoque said the DTCB was formed as part of an interim move to formulate a 20-year strategic transport plan in absence of the capacity of the city corporation.
"Strengthening the DTCA would not be a solution from a sustainable point of view," he added.
DTCA officials said the move was taken to help prepare transport master plans for each divisional city as there is no such authority to do the work.
DTCA Executive Director Khandakar Rakibur Rahman said still lots of discussions are needed to finalise the draft.
"We felt the necessity as buildings, parking space, transports are developed without traffic calculations in all cities," he told the FE over phone.
The draft will be finalised through wider discussions with all stakeholders including experts and mass people.
DTCA, since its inception, has formulated two strategic transport plans--2005 and 2015-- under which mass transport system has been planned in the city along with infrastructures like elevated expressways, mid, circular roads.
"There is no alternative to have a master plan for each of the cities in line with rapid urbanisation which has already grabbed lands and poured unplanned transport system in most cities," said an official.
He also said the provision of penalty has been included in the draft act as many government agencies often do not pay due attention to the authority.
The DTCA has already started receiving comments from all stakeholders on the draft BUTA 2019.
A seminar on the draft was also held at the DTCA office on Thursday. Representatives from different government agencies and city corporations as well as engineers and architects took part in the seminar.
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