The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges (MoRTB) has moved to reassess the much-delayed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project after the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) rejected its latest cost-escalation proposal in July this year.
The project, initially estimated at Tk 20.39 billion, sought a fifth revision, raising the cost to Tk 65.97 billion - more than triple the original estimate - and extending the deadline to 2029.
The ECNEC returned the latest revision proposal on July 27.
But the ministry is reluctant to abandon the project midway, as half of the 20.1-kilometre corridor between Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) and Gazipur is already constructed, officials say.
Shutting it down would have significant economic, social and environmental consequences, they added.
To guide the next steps, the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD) has formed two committees under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD).
One committee will assess the overall impact of scrapping the project without completion, while the other will review why the scheme has struggled for more than a decade despite repeated revisions.
"The committees will examine loopholes from the feasibility stage to execution, and also identify the gaps that prevented the project from progressing as planned," said an official involved.
The BRT initiative, launched in 2012 under the foreign-funded "Greater Dhaka Urban Sustainable Transport (GDUST)" project, was expected to ease congestion along one of the busiest corridors of the capital region.
Initially scheduled for completion in December 2019, the project was revised three times with new deadlines in 2022 and later 2024. Cost revisions had pushed the budget to Tk 42.68 billion before the latest proposal sought an additional Tk 23.29 billion.
The latest revision was driven by the need to procure buses for both diesel and electric modes, install supporting infrastructure, and establish Dhaka BRT Company for future operations and management. These elements had not been included in previous revisions.
Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit Company (DBRTC) officials stressed that as the project is financed by development partners, there is no option but to complete it. Revenue from BRT operations is expected to help repay the loans.
The Asian Development Bank has already committed €100 million to finance operations, buses, intelligent transport systems (ITS) and other support, while France's AFD approved €62 million as the first tranche in October 2022.
However, the Planning Commission has called for a thorough review before reconsidering approval. It has asked the ministry to engage both local and international experts to justify the project's completion.
Accordingly, the RHD committees will include representatives from the Urban Planning Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA), and Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA).
The inclusion of BBA and DTCA representatives is intended to ensure alignment with the government's strategic transport plan.
Despite these initiatives, progress remains slow. At a meeting on August 31, it was noted that the committees were yet to begin their evaluations.
smunima@yahoo.com
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