After 14 years of construction and an expenditure of Tk2,811 crore, the buses that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project in Gazipur was designed to operate have never hit the road. Instead, the prolonged construction has worsened traffic congestion and public suffering along the nearly 20km stretch from the airport to Gazipur.
The government has now decided to scrap the project and repurpose its existing infrastructure for use as a conventional highway.
The decision on the future of the Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project (BRT, Gazipur-Airport) was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on 18 October.
The Road Transport and Highways Division informed the relevant agencies of the cabinet's discussions and decisions in a letter issued yesterday (19 October).
Under the decision, the BRT corridor will be converted into a conventional highway by removing its dedicated infrastructure, including stations and lane dividers. The government will also take steps to upgrade two two-lane overpasses built under the project to four lanes.
The relevant authorities have been instructed to consult development partners, resolve outstanding legal complications and formally close the project.
The government has also decided to shut down Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit PLC, which was established to operate the BRT service. Its functions will be brought under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD).
At the cabinet meeting, several options for the project's future, presented by the Road Transport and Highways Division, were reviewed. The cabinet considered 'Alternative 4' the most suitable option. This proposal involved removing the infrastructure built exclusively for the BRT system and converting the corridor into a conventional highway.
The Road Transport and Highways Division has been instructed to take the necessary steps in line with the cabinet's decision. The relevant agencies have also been directed to begin implementation urgently and submit a progress report within the next 15 days.
Until the work is completed, progress reports must be submitted to the division by the third day of every month. The directive has been issued to the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), the RHD and Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit PLC, among other relevant agencies.
Tk2,811 crore spent, but BRT buses never operated
The BRT project was undertaken to provide faster and uninterrupted travel for passengers between the airport and Gazipur along the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.
The plan was to operate special buses on dedicated lanes, preventing conflicts with regular traffic and allowing passengers to reach their destinations in less time.
However, despite 14 years of construction, the BRT buses envisaged under the project never began operating. The project cost Tk2,811 crore during this period.
The prolonged construction also caused considerable hardship for commuters and local residents along the busy highway, with traffic congestion and travel difficulties persisting for years.
The government is now abandoning the dedicated bus corridor for which substantial public funds were spent. The BRT stations and lane dividers will be removed, and the existing infrastructure will be adapted for ordinary vehicular traffic.