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Mega transport project for greater Dhaka kicks off

$5.52b STP aims to ease traffic congestion, attach top priority to pedestrians' movement

Staff Correspondent
The government yesterday launched a long-term mega project to establish an integrated environment-friendly traffic management system in greater Dhaka to relieve people of the nagging traffic congestion.
The 20-year Strategic Transport Plan (STP) includes 17,400 square km of water and surface ways in Dhaka and neighbouring N'arayanganj, Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Gazipur and Manikganj districts.
Metro train services, elevated motorways, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), construction of roads connecting the east of the capital to the west, flyovers, footbridges and new roads, and repair of damaged thoroughfares are the main features of the plan. It is aimed at a safe, reliable and affordable transport system in the city with pedestrians getting the highest priority.
The total expenditure is estimated at $5.52 billion excluding the cost of land acquisition.
Launching the STP at Osmani Memorial Hall, Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed said implementation of the plan would provide city dwellers safety and alleviate traffic congestion.
"Activities under the Strategic Transport Plan have already started to bring order in the city transport sector, remove traffic congestions
and curb the level of air pollution," he said at the launching ceremony, regretting the financial loss and the loss of valuable working hours of commuters due to congestions.
The STP is designed to be implemented in three phases. Six roads would be built to connect the east of the capital to the west and link the city to Dhaka bypass in the first phase. These roads are Zia Colony to Mirpur, Panthapath to Rampura, Tejgaon Airport Tunnel, Merul Badda to Golakandial, Tongi to Ghorashal and Malibagh to Janapath.
"It is essential to move forward immediately if the long-term plan is to succeed in a meaningful way in the first phase," said the STP report, adding that the planning, designing, financing and other preparatory work for the three motorways are done and awaits implementation in the first and second phases.
Design guidelines would be made for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems, including BRT and Metro (underground railway) system, in the first phase, says the report.
Construction of 12 roads to. have major advancement in the city's infrastructure and completion of three elevated motorways will be done in the second phase. "Final design and finance plans for the first Metro Line [5] will be completed in this phase."
The third phase, which has two parts, includes the designing and construction 16 roads aimed at opening up the eastern and western fringe areas. Preliminary engineering on 17 roads to be constructed in the second part of the third phase, final design and financing plans for the second and third Metro Line (4 and 6] and completion of the construction work of Metro Line 5 are scheduled for the first part of the third phase.
The second and final part of the third phase includes design and construction of the 17 roads aimed at completing the city motorway network. completion of Metro Line 4 and 6, the report says.
The cost of BKr has been estimated at $5 million per km while the cost of Metro Line construction has been estimated at $50 million per km on structure and $75 million per km underground.
Terming the launch the beginning of a new chapter, Fakhruddin said managing fund for such a mega project would be a challenge. He urged the donors to come forward.
The plan, however, has the option to launch concerted move to mobilise fund from government and private sectors
"The Mass Rapid lYansit system will be complete when the first part of the third phase is done." said SM Salehuddin, additional executive director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, while giving a short presentation on the 20-year plan.
We will also revive the rivers in and around the capital to integrate those with the land transport systems."
Presiding over the function, Communication Adviser Ghulam
Quader said the plan was endorsed in 2006 and blamed the previous government for not approving it for implementation.
"It is a landmark step for Dhaka residents," he added.
Mahbubur Rahman, secretary to Roads and Highways Department of the communication ministry, gave the welcome speech at the ceremony which was also attended by a number of advisers, senior government officials and donors' representatives.
"It is time to make the capital city habitable by cleansing it of environment pollution and traffic jam," the chiefadvisersaid.
He said his government has given an important consideration to the matter of increasing scope and facilities of city life alongside resolving people's problems and fulfilling their expectations.
"This government already has taken initiative to further expedite the Dhaka lYansport Coordination Board and laid special importance on advancing the SIP which had been stuck for long,” he said.
Alongside increasing population, economic activities and industries have increased and so has the number of vehicles on the road, he said. Roads have not increased in proportion to the rate at which the numberofvehicles increased.
"As a result, intolerable traffic jams, air and noise pollution and so on became a matter of city life. Civic amenities have decreased increasingsuffering," hesaid.
The present caretaker government approved the project this year against die backdrop of commuters' abject suffering for outmoded transport system of the capital compounded with nagging traffic congestion that causes waste of valuable time in this high-speed age-
Construction and reconstruction of about 330km of roads and highways, including 50 new roads, flyovers, elevated motorways, Metro Lines, circular waterways. Bus Rapid lYansit (BRT), Rapid Mass Transit (RMT), bus-route rationalisation, traffic-system development and protecting the environment are the majof components of the STP.