A slow progress in preparing the technical project on the start of the bus-based mass transit system in city's southern part has delayed getting the project's assistance from the World Bank by a year, sources said.
They said a time gap between the start of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines North and South will also widen due to the reason. BRT North is now at an implementation stage while BRT South is at a preparatory stage.
Sources said the project preparation work of BRT South was supposed to be completed by October as agreed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges (MoRTB) and its agency Roads and Highways Department (RHD) with the WB's mission who visited Bangladesh in September last.
But Roads and Highways Department (RHD) has yet to complete the work. The latest mission visited the country last month.
Experts apprehend that the delay may also increase public sufferings on Airport corridor as it gets highest traffic from almost all corners of the country. Currently, BRT North construction work has caused immense sufferings to the people.
The MoRTB has taken the move to introduce BRT-3 corridor from Gazipur to Sayedabad dividing the entire 40-kilometre route into two parts -- BRT North and BRT South.
With financial and technical support from Asian Development Bank, RHD is now implementing the BRT North from Gazipur to Airport.
Recently, RHD has been assigned to take necessary preparations for implementing the BRT South from Airport after the World Bank assured the authority concerned of supporting part of the South corridor.
As this part of the BRT corridor will be crossing through built-up city, the study-level consultants faced a big challenge of integrating the project with the ongoing projects.
The World Bank helped in conducting a feasibility study on the BRT South under the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA). However, DTCA changed the route several times due to the challenge of coordinating with two flyover projects and existing bus operating system.
Official sources said the work in preparing the technical project has been delayed due to the national election held on December 30 last year.
They also said though RHD has opened a project implementation unit (PIU), it has yet to recruit necessary manpower to speed up the work. The incumbent project director of BRT North is also in charge of BRT South.
Due to the delay, sources said, the project's funding would not be possible this year as the WB would not place the technical project to its board before February 2020.
The officials, however, said the ministry has already expedited the process to start the BRT South under a technical project named Dhaka Public Transport Improvement Project.
Under the project, the RHD is going to appoint consultants under BRT South. Mohakhali bus terminal would also be remodelled and turned into a hub- a mixed model of public-private partnership (PPP).
The entire bus routes have also been planned to rationalise with the planned BRT and mass rapid transits (MRTs).
They said a coordination meeting with all concerned was held in February where all the issues came up for discussion.
An official also said service rule for state-owned BRT company, which will implement, operate and maintain BRTs in the future, has already been completed and hiring staff for it will start soon.
He said the WB mission visited the country at the end of March and also held meetings with all concerned to follow the revised timeline for getting the bank's technical support by February 2020.
smunima@yahoo.com