Low-cost bus, light rail options in focus

The new BNP government is likely to adopt a strategic transport policy centred on bus and light rail-based public transport in the capital, marking a major shift from the previous government's focus on mega-transport projects that largely failed to cover marginal commuters.
However, officials and transport experts say the government may continue the ongoing megaprojects in the road and rail sectors, including metro rail, after reviewing their affordability and cost estimates.
They say the scope of bus route franchise (BRF), bus rapid transit (BRT), monorail, and light rail transit (LRT) will be reassessed to determine their feasibility as feeder, trunk, and branch solutions to serve passengers in congested and underserved areas.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has already held a meeting with Md Shamsul Hoque, a civil engineering professor at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), at his office to discuss the existing challenges in the transport sector.
Earlier, the premier also consulted the BUET professor to learn about possible solutions and sectoral challenges.
Sharing the outcome of the meeting, Shamsul on Monday said the prime minister preferred low-cost transport solutions that would cover marginal populations, as well as ensure safe and secure commuting, particularly for female passengers.
"Sustainable and strong rail network development is also his priority as a means of decentralisation as he wants to reduce travel time between the country's two prime cities," the professor said.
He said the government planned to shift the modal share of small, medium, and large modes of transport through proper integration.
Dhaka's transport planning has been guided by the 25-year Strategic Transport Plan (STP), which has been revised twice - in 2015 and 2025 - amid criticism that the earlier versions did not adequately focus on projects such as mass rapid transit (MRT) and expressways.
Although the STP primarily emphasised bus transport regularisation through city bus services and the bus route franchise system, these initiatives could not be implemented over the past 15 years due to political interference.
Meanwhile, official sources say Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL), which has already faced challenges in continuing the implementation of three MRT lines due to high price quotations from contractors, will be asked to revise project costs to make them more affordable.
Besides, DMTCL will be assigned to explore the feasibility of light rail-based passenger services in different city corridors, including monorail, LRT, and suspension rail, as the implementation time and cost of these alternative modes are significantly lower than those of heavy metro systems.
Professor Shamsul said the state-owned company would be instructed to carry out impactful work at reasonable costs as the present government aimed to build an urban transport backbone based on public transport - first by improving bus services, then developing dedicated bus corridors, and finally shifting the majority of passengers from roads to integrated feeder, trunk, and branch rail corridors.

smunima@yahoo.com