BRT to be linked to metro rail
The authorities have taken an initiative to connect two major projects -- MRT-6 and BRT -- through a "link service" between Diabari and House Building areas of the capital's Uttara.
The country's first metro rail -- formally known as Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) -- is being constructed from Diabari to Motijheel. On the other hand, construction works of the Bus Rapid Transit -- a dedicated bus service line -- from Airport to Gazipur is also going on. The line will go through House Building area.
Question remained how people will catch the metro leaving from BRT in House Building area easily and comfortably and how a metro rail passenger would reach the House Building area, which is around 1.5 kilometer from Daibari.
Recently, Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project (GDSUTP), under which the BRT is being implemented, has taken an initiative to introduce a "link service" between Diabari and House Building areas.
The GDSUTP has called a meeting with the officials involved in the two projects and those of Dhaka North City Corporation on September 2 to discuss different aspects of initiative, officials said.
GDSUTP's project coordinator Neelima Akhter has sent a letter to the managing director of Dhaka Mass Transport Company Ltd (DMTCL), the government agency implementing the metro rail project, informing it about the meeting.
The letter said if a link service between Diabari and House Building was established, people of Motijheel, Mirpur, Uttara and Gazipur would enjoy an uninterrupted transport network through the "transport mode transfer" system.
"And that would increase the acceptability of both the MRT and the BRT projects," the letter reads.
It also mentioned that consultant firm of the GDSUTP has already completed topography survey and feasibility study over an existing road. Although the project director of BRT has sought some information from DMTCL in January and June to finalise the road alignment, he did not get any response, it said.
"We have called the meeting to discuss the link service issue, because coordination is necessary between the two projects for the passengers' benefit," Neelima told The Daily Star yesterday.
Asked whether buses or any other mode of transport would be used in the "link service", she said it was not decided yet.
Contacted, DMTCL's Managing Director MAN Siddique acknowledged receiving such a proposal recently.
He said apart from the BRT authorities, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation and some private bus operators have already given proposal on introducing a "link service" between MRT-6 and BRT.
But, DMTCL did not respond as it was yet to fix a concrete deadline to start metro rail operation, he said.
"We also support a link service but that should be a dedicated one between the stoppages," he told The Daily Star on Friday. "We hope to hear of a concrete proposal from the BRT authorities at the meeting," he said.
DMTCL earlier set December 2021 for starting operation of the country's first metro rail, but the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down the works, casting doubt whether the authorities would be able to meet the deadline. Once completed, metro rail would carry 60,000 passengers per hour.
The BRT authorities have now set a fresh deadline of June 2022.
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