Three newly renovated inter-district bus terminals in the city are going to open in the next seven days amid dissatisfaction among many with the flaws in renovation work.

The renovation work of the three terminals -- Sayedabad, Mohakhali and Gabtoli -- has finished recently one year behind the schedule, but the flaws in the work has sparked resentment among the private terminal operators as well as transport service providers.

They said the quality of work was not up to the mark and the contractors have deviated from the original design to some extent.

When contacted, DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka said, "At first, I came to know that some works have been left unfinished. Later, I found that everything was done according to the project proposal."

The Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) has fixed the dates for inauguration of the three terminals. The Sayedabad bus terminal is scheduled to open on July 21 while Mohakhali terminal on July 24 and Gabtoli terminal on July 26, sources said.

Talking to this correspondent, private terminal operators and bus counter men expressed their dissatisfaction over the faulty design of passengers sheds and security boundaries, poor quality of toilet fittings and tiles, narrow space for ticket counters and poor water supply lines.

"We have sent letters to the mayor several times informing him about various faults in the design, but to no effect," said Babul Ahmed, chairman of Diba Enterprises, the private operator of Gabtoli bus terminal.

He also alleged that the design was changed time and again, but this will bring no good to the bus operators as well as passengers. In fact, nothing has been done properly, he added.

"The water supply lines are very narrow, reservoir water tank is inadequate and the boundary walls are faulty," said Moniruzzaman Chowdhury, proprietor of Panama Trading, which is operating Sayedabad and Mohakhali terminals.

There should have been bus washing ramps at the terminals, he added.

Shah Alam, a bus counter clerk in Sayedabad, said, "The designs of passenger shed and ticket counter are faulty as water leaks into the shed during rains and the ticket counters are very narrow."

However, the terminals will have a new look after the inauguration, said the private operators, bus staffers and passengers.

The Roads and Highways Department implemented the renovation work under the Dhaka Urban Transport Project (DUTP) at a cost of Tk 44.20 crore. The World Bank (WB) has funded the project coordinated by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB).

Engineer Rezaul Haq of Abdul Monem Ltd said, "We have completed the work as per contract and handed over the terminals to the RHD last month."

S M Saleh Uddin, additional executive director of DTCB, said, "Ninety-nine percent work has been completed. We are satisfied with our work as we have employed good experts to implement the project."

The Sayedabad bus terminal is scheduled to open on July 21 while Mohakhali terminal on July 24 and Gabtoli terminal on July 26, said Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) sources.

DCC Mayor Sadeque Hossain Khoka will inaugurate the Sayedabad and Mohakhali terminals while the mayor with the communications minister will open the Gabtoli terminal.