Metro rail bill placed at parliament
Metro rail bill placed at parliament
The metro rail project bill was placed at the parliament today in a bid to provide fast and improved public transportation in Dhaka and ease traffic congestion in the capital.
Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader placed the Metro Rail Bill 2014.
The passage of the proposed bill will give a legal framework to the overall activities of the proposed metro rail project, including its operations, control and regulations.
The bill was sent to the parliamentary standing committee on the respective ministry for scrutiny and is expected to be reported back to the House within four weeks.
“The government has taken initiative to build mass rapid transit for easing traffic congestion and rendering fast and improved mass transport service in Dhaka,” the bill objective said.
“That’s why a specific law is needed for construction, operation and maintenance of the country’s first metro rail,” it added.
The proposed law will be effective in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi districts initially. Other districts will be gradually included.
WHAT’S IN THE BILL?
The proposed law also kept provision for constructing and operating the metro rail under public private partnership (PPP).
A metro rail traveler will be fined ten times the respective ticket price if found without ticket or legal permission to board the service. Defaulters will also be entitled to six months’ jail.
Anyone obstructing metro rail operation will face five years of imprisonment or Tk 50,000 fine.
The bill proposed a provision of Tk 1 crore penalty and 10 years of imprisonment for operating metro rail without license or illegal handover of license.
The proposed law says that there will be separate committees for issuing licenses of metro rail and fixing the fares.
Executive Director of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority will be the head of the committee for issuing license. A seven-member committee will fix the fare for passengers under instruction from the government.
Earlier on November 10, the Cabinet approved the draft of the Metro Rail Bill.
The Tk 220 billion project, a priority scheme of the government, is expected to be completed by 2019.
A public limited company Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited will operate the metro rail supervised by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority.
The proposed route of the metro rail is Uttara to Bangladesh Bank via Pallabi-Rokeya Sarani-Khamarbari-Farmgate-Hotel Sonargaon-Shahbagh-TSC-Doel Chattar- and Topkhana Road.
There will be 16 metro rail stations under the project. The stations include Uttara (North), Uttara (Centre), Uttara (South), Pallabi, IMT, Mirpur 10, Kazipaha, Taltala, Agargaon, Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Sonargaon, National Museum, Doel Chattar, Bangabandhu National Stadium and Bangladesh Bank.
According to the government, the metro rail will be able to carry with 1800 passengers every four minutes, transiting 60000 people every hour.
SPEEDY SUPPLY OF POWER AND ENERGY (AMENDMENT) ACT-2014
State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid Bipu placed The Speedy Supply Of Power And Energy (Special Provision) (Amendment) Act seeking extension of certain provisions of the Speedy Supply of Power and Energy (Special Provision) Act-2010.
The bill proposed extension of indemnity for more four years in the construction of power plants for ensuring quick supply of power and energy in the country.
The bill was sent to the standing committee on the respective ministry for scrutiny and report back to the House within December.