BRT-3 not this year

The wait for a dedicated bus corridor between Dhaka and Gazipur is getting longer as the authority would not be able to start a special bus service there this year, even 13 years after the project was taken.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader in June announced that the 20.5km Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Line-3 would be operational in September or October this year.

But authorities are now saying they will not be able to launch the service this year due to delay in construction works and procurement of buses.

"It's not possible to say exactly when it [BRT] would be operational. It won't happen by December for sure," Shafiqul Islam, managing director of Dhaka BRT Company Ltd (DBRTCL), told The Daily Star yesterday.

Taken in November 2012, the project, formally known as Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project, was originally planned to be complete by December 2016 at a cost of Tk 2,037.9 crore.

The BRT Line-3 from Dhaka airport to Gazipur was actually an extension of the original plan, which was to build the BRT from the airport to Jhilmil project in Keraniganj to reduce traffic congestion in the capital.

Another plan to extend the line to Mohakhali was dropped due to what officials said was the bad experience during the BRT implementation.

The construction works have caused huge congestion, especially during the rainy season, leaving thousands of road users suffering for years. Even the road minister termed the project "golar kata" [a running sore].

The delay was caused by issues related to land acquisition, relocation of utility services, design changes, contractors running out of money, and the pandemic. Moreover, physical work was suspended twice.

As a result, the total project cost is now estimated to be Tk 4,268.3 crore and the deadline is December 2024. The project witnessed 84.09 percent progress as of September.

Shafiqul Islam said although they thought they would be able to start operation by October, it would not be possible.

He said the contractors have failed to meet their commitment like previous occasions.

Replying to a question, he said almost all construction works -- except the works at Gazipur intersection and a flyover in Bhogra area -- will be completed by December this year.

He said tendering process for procuring 137 buses was almost done but they have to reevaluate it following the Dhaka BRT Company board decision, which is causing delay.

He also said they have already reached a consensus with Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation to appoint it as operator until hiring an actual operator.

Asked whether all 25 stations will be ready by December to provide automatic ticketing service by December, he said not all would be ready.

"We are now developing a station at Gazipur's Targach as a model and it would be replicated on other stations if its service is found satisfactory," he added.

Asked whether they will be able to start operations in January next year, he said, "I can't say exactly."

Once in operation, the bus corridor is expected to allow people to reach Dhaka from Gazipur, a satellite town near Dhaka where the cost of living is much lower, in 35-40 minutes, a journey that now takes about 1.5 hours and can go up to four hours.