Facilitating Work of Metro: Gabtoli terminal to be relocated in a year and half

Gabtoli Bus Terminal, the largest and the busiest inter-district bus terminal in the capital, has to be relocated for the construction of a metro rail line. This may lead to suffering for tens of thousands of passengers.

Although the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has a plan to move the terminal out of the capital permanently, the plan is still at the preliminary stage.

Amid this, the metro rail authorities are working with the DNCC to complete the relocation work within one and a half years to facilitate the construction of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) Line-5 (northern route). The temporary relocation will be done for four-five years, officials said.

This means the authorities have to spend funds twice on the same job -- initially for temporary work and later for permanent work.

Officials of Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) and the DNCC are now looking for a suitable location to move the Gabtoli terminal, which serves hundreds of long-haul buses every day.

About 1,500‐1,600 buses travel from Gabtoli to 46 northern and south‐western districts every day on average, according to a 2021 government study report.

The 20-kilometre MRT Line-5 (northern route) will connect Hemayetpur and Bhatara via Gabtoli, Mirpur, and Gulshan. One of the 14 stations on the route will be built beside the Gabtoli terminal. A 13.5km section (from Aminbazar to Natunbazar) of the MRT Line-5 will be built underground.

Physical works of the Tk 41,239 crore project will start with the development of its depot area at Hemayetpur by late July or early August, and the construction works in Gabtoli area is expected to begin within one and a half years, said Aftab Hossain Khan, project director of MRT-5 (northern route).

"Although the metro rail station at Gabtoli will be built underground beside the bus terminal, we have to knock down a big part of the bus terminal for the metro rail works. Otherwise, movement of traffic on the roads adjacent to the terminal would be disrupted during the construction.

"In that case, the operation of the bus terminal will be disrupted. So, the terminal has to be relocated," Aftab told The Daily Star on Monday.

Apart from vehicles from the city, a large number of vehicles from other parts of the country enter the capital every day carrying passengers and goods, often leading to severe traffic congestions.

So, the two Dhaka city corporations decided to move the three inter-district bus terminals -- Gabtoli, Mohakhali and Sayedabad -- outside the city.

Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority carried out a feasibility study on the relocation of the three terminals. In the study report, submitted in September 2021, the DTCA identified five locations at the periphery of the capital for relocation of the terminals, shows document.

Hemayetpur, an area beside the Dhaka-Aricha Highway, is one of the proposed locations for relocating the Gabtoli terminal, said officials.

"They [DNCC] would take more time to shift the terminal permanently. So, the terminal has to be moved temporarily for carrying out our works. We will bear the shifting costs from our project funds," Aftab said.

He said the relocation may cost them about Tk 20 crore.

Replying to a question, the project director said they were yet to find land.

Built on 22 acres with three entries and two exits, Gabtoli Bus Terminal provides night halts for 800‐900 buses, which is more than the total capacity of the two other bus terminals, according to the study.

Mohakhali terminal serves 600‐700 daily trips to 60 different destinations, and it can provide night halts for 200‐250 vehicles. The Sayedabad terminal serves about 300 buses daily and can accommodate 200 buses at night, shows the document.

The project director said apart from MRT Line-5 (northern route), the Gabtoli terminal will almost be surrounded by two other metro rail lines, MRT Line-5 (southern route) and MRT Line-2, which would start from Gabtoli area.

Also, the DMTCL has a plan for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) centering Gabtoli which is expected to be implemented by more than one government agency.

Amid such a situation, the terminal has to relocated ultimately, he added.

Contacted, a top DNCC official admitted that they were in talks with the metro rail authorities.

Replying to a question, he said the Gabtoli terminal will be moved temporarily as their plan for permanent relocation was still at the preliminary level.

"A permanent relocation would be the best as it would save temporary relocation costs. But the reality is that permanent relocation will take time," he told The Daily Star on condition of anonymity.

Abu Raihan, general secretary of Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners Association, said they were not aware of the move on relocation.

"If the government decides to move the terminal, it can do so. But this would cause sufferings to passengers," Raihan told this newspaper on Tuesday.

There is an open space to the south of the existing terminal, and the authority can relocate it there, Raihan said, adding that they will oppose relocation of the terminal much far from the city.