Shifting three crammed inter-district bus terminals from Dhaka city virtually loses gear in land-acquisition hurdles, thus deterring route rationalization and franchise transport service in the capital.
The land-acquisition process was launched for setting up five new depot-cum-terminals in city suburbs to dismantle the old terminals from where vehicles spill over onto roads and lanes.
Moreover, the limited city roads are congested with old-mode buses and umpteen smaller commuter and goods-carrying transports, spelling crowding-out effect on the already-running Nagar Paribahan buses on a piloting basis.
Site selections for the new depots were finalised two years ago as part of an integrated plan to resolve prolonged problem of traffic congestion through introducing modern bus service.
Spot checks find thousands of inter-district buses parked on roadsides in different congested areas in and around the capital city due to oversaturated condition in Gabtoli, Mohakhali and Saidabad terminals.
Cleansing such Augean stables is planned to accommodate newly introduced city bus services named Nagar Paribahan for better commuting as buses plying first three routes under green cluster has been facing lack of road and parking spaces.
Sources say the land-acquisition process has also been facing inordinate delay as the government has suspended release of funds amid its austerity measures after coronavirus pandemic and global vulnerable economic situation due to the Russia-Ukraine war.
However, both the Dhaka city corporations have yet to get approval from the ministry concerned to start work on land acquisition. As maximum of over 145 acres land is privately owned, the land demarcation is not also completed.
"Out of five sites, land demarcation of one was completed. But we are waiting for the administrative order," says an official of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC). Request to the Deputy Commissioner will be sent then to estimate cost of land acquisition
But Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), pending all this, has called expression of interest (EoI) for two sites under its jurisdiction recently
but could not get any qualified firm for the work. It has already decided to call fresh EoI soon.
Asked why the EoI is called before LA completion, Executive Engineer Kazi Mohammad Borhanuddin told the FE that DSCC wants to conduct the feasibility study and detailed design work to cover the time gap to be needed for land acquisition.
An official, however, says for a lack of experience, five firms that participated in the EoI were not selected in the evaluation process.
A team led by DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh selected Gram Vaturia, Hemayetpur, Baghair, Kanchpur-South and Bhulta located under DSCC and DNCC after visiting the sites in December 2020. These are among 10 sites proposed by Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) after a survey.
However, since then, funding arrangement has not yet been finalised.
A special committee formed under leadership of the DSCC mayor as chairman and the DNCC mayor as co-chair also discussed various issues on the depot but was yet to get the financing modality to construct those.
DTCA officials say the land sites were proposed under a survey but feasibility study is a prerequisite for finding their viability.
The preliminary study showed that Gram Vaturia would be able to serve buses of 18 districts while Hemayetpur 12 districts, Baghair 14 districts, Kanchpur-South 11 districts and Bhulta eight districts.
DTCA Executive Director Sabiha Parveen says there is discussion also to arrange funding for these depots under public- private partnership (PPP) or on government-to-government basis if the cost is estimated high.
"These sites have been planned to be equipped with modern facilities, like washing plants, restroom for drivers and commuters, workshop, refreshment etc," she says.
The ED, however, said the shifting of the terminals is necessary to provide parking spaces for the Nagar Paribahan launched on three routes with a fleet of over 100 buses.
Though the two lands are owned by government agencies, including Roads and Highways Department, sources said DSCC has yet to get the Kantchpur south land though a verbal commitment to handing over the land was there.
Due to the delays, it is now planned to keep the city buses at Saidabad terminal where a development plan is underway to increase the bus-parking capacity.
But the terminal has itself the demand for accommodation due to the development of Dhaka-Mawa highway and the opening of Padma Bridge.
Transport experts are of the opinion that implementing the stalled route-franchise project to run big-capacity company buses is urgent to clear routes for the Padma Bridge-crossing transports and commuters from the metro rail.
Economists and Bangladesh's foreign development financiers point out substantial economic losses in lost hours in the transport tailbacks.
