Play store
The government has scrapped the Dhaka-Gazipur Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project after 14 years of construction, prolonged traffic congestion and expenditure of Tk 2,811 crore, deciding to remove dedicated bus lanes and station infrastructure and turn the road into a six-lane highway
The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday, according to a letter issued by the Road Transport and Highways Division on Monday.
The government has also directed officials to resolve legal complications in consultation with development partners and implement the decision urgently. The Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit Company, formed to operate the service, is proposed to be closed, with its responsibilities transferred to the Roads and Highways Department.
The plan also includes expanding two two-lane flyovers to four lanes. Officials have been asked to submit an initial progress report within 15 days and provide monthly updates by the third day of each month until implementation is complete.
Approved in 2012, the project was intended to provide faster travel between Dhaka’s airport and Gazipur. However, delays, design problems and poor coordination prolonged construction, causing years of traffic congestion and suffering for commuters, particularly garment workers.
At least seven pedestrians and workers were killed in construction-related accidents, including a crane accident and the collapse of a launching girder.
The project was initially estimated to cost Tk 2,039.84 crore, with completion scheduled for 2016. Its scope was later limited to the approximately 20-kilometre route from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Shibbari in Gazipur.
The BRT service was designed to carry passengers on dedicated lanes, with the initial plan promising a journey from Gazipur’s Chandna Chowrasta to the airport in just 30 minutes.
The government considered four options, including completing the project and operating BRT buses, allowing regular buses to use the existing corridor, introducing tolls or cancelling the scheme. It ultimately opted to dismantle the dedicated infrastructure and use the road as a regular highway.
