Proper linkage of mass rapid transit (MRT) and bus rapid transit (BRT) routes with six active corridors will be the key to making the transportation system of Dhaka sustainable, experts said at a workshop on Thursday.
Dhaka-Chattogram Highway, Dhaka-Sylhet Highway, Dhaka-North Bengal Highway through Tangail, Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, Dhaka-Manikganj Highway, and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Expressway are six major arteries of the economy, they said.
Therefore, they think the under-construction MRT and BRT routes will not be successful unless these are well-linked with the six arteries.
For this, they highlighted the importance of enhancing the capacity of DTCA (Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority) and urged other agencies to cooperate with the DTCA.
The observations came at a workshop on the draft inception report of Mid-Term Review and Updating of Revised Strategic Transport Plan (MTR-RSTP) project for DTCA area, held at CIRDAP in the city.
Speaking as the chief guest, Road Transport and Highway Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri said Dhaka is one of the megacities of the world where a huge number of people visit daily from different corners of the country for various purposes.
"So, we need to make a proper transport plan for the mega city keeping current data and future data in mind," he said.
He said there are many agencies implementing projects for the people but they need to inform the DTCA about the schemes for better coordination.
Chief Engineer of Roads and Highway Department (RHD) AKM Manir Hossain Pathan said there are six active corridors linking Dhaka and these need to be well linked with the MRT and BRT for the sustainability of the transportation system.
He also laid emphasis on the capacity building of the DTCA for proper implementation of the RSTP.
As part of the upgradation of the RSTP, a 30-month-long study will be conducted up to November, 2024.
The study will be done in three phases. Under the first phase, the current RSTP will be reviewed for updating the baseline data.
In the second phase, the urban transport master plan will be updated followed by updating the implementation on programme.
