BRT project scrapped even after 97 percent work done, corridor to become an ordinary highway

Around three thousand crore taka has been spent and construction is 97 percent complete. Only the remaining 3 percent of work stood between the project and the launch of the specialised Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service. But after a 14-year wait, the government is now moving away from the project's original plan: the BRT corridor built from the airport to Gazipur will be converted into a highway for general traffic.

The project, which began in 2012, was supposed to finish in 2018. Its deadline and cost were extended several times, yet the long-awaited service never started. The latest approved cost stands at 4,268 crore 32 lakh taka. The decision has sparked resentment among Gazipur residents who, after years of construction hardship, were waiting for a modern public transport service.

According to a decision letter issued by the Road Transport and Highways Division last Monday (19 October), the future of the Gazipur-Airport BRT project was discussed at a cabinet meeting last Sunday. Under the decision, there is a proposal to convert the BRT corridor's two lanes into a general highway with three-plus-three lanes.

Converting two two-lane overpasses into four-lane overpasses is also under consideration. However, the decision letter does not mention how much extra money the infrastructure changes will cost, how long the work will take, or which parts of the structures already built will need alteration.

Under the 'Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project', a corridor of about 20.5 kilometres was planned from the airport to Gazipur — around 16 kilometres of road at ground level and four and a half kilometres of elevated section.

Built along this corridor are a 10-lane bridge over the Turag River, six flyovers, six elevated bus stations, footpaths, a drainage system and a bus depot. In other words, almost all the major infrastructure needed for a BRT service is already standing on the ground.

Gazipur Oitihya O Unnayan, a citizens' organisation in Gazipur, says around 2,800 to 3,000 crore taka from government funds and foreign loans has been spent on the project. Changing the use of the infrastructure without examining whether the BRT could be launched by finishing the remaining work could increase the waste of public money, the organisation believes.

The Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) has protested the decision to scrap the BRT project. According to the organisation, converting specialised public transport infrastructure into a general highway goes against sustainable, fuel-efficient and inclusive transport planning, and risks encouraging car-dependent travel.

BIP general secretary Professor Md Mosleh Uddin Hasan said in a statement: 'This decision is also inconsistent with the proposals of the Gazipur Transport Master Plan and Dhaka's Revised Strategic Transport Plan.' The organisation demanded a reconsideration of the decision, the formation of a unified body to operate BRT and MRT, and the establishment of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority as the leading body for transport planning in the greater Dhaka region.

A lack of coordination among three government agencies has been cited as one of the main reasons for the project's long delays. Different parts of the project were the responsibility of the Road Transport and Highways Division, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority and the Local Government Engineering Department. With work running under separate agencies, different sections were completed at different times.

Questions have also been raised over whether the feasibility study, design, real traffic conditions and future transport demand were properly considered. An evaluation report by the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) had warned that launching the BRT under the current design could increase traffic congestion and public suffering. Improved highways and strengthening rail-based public transport had also been recommended as alternatives.

On the other hand, planners and citizens in favour of launching the BRT argue that if there are problems in design and operation, they should be corrected and the possibility of starting the service examined. Gazipur Oitihya O Unnayan has also demanded a reconsideration of the cabinet decision, a halt to any move to remove the infrastructure, a deadline for launching the BRT after completing the remaining work, and a decision on the project's future based on the opinions of local residents and independent experts. It also called for accountability for those responsible for the long delays and the project's flaws.

Altogether, the decision to scrap a mega project at the very moment of launch after 14 years has raised big questions about the country's transport planning. It remains to be seen whether the government stands firm, or whether protests and expert objections force a fresh rethink of the BRT corridor's future.