BRT project: Bus operations begin with work pending

The much-discussed Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is set to begin operations, despite several crucial works still incomplete, including construction of road dividers, stations, and foot-over bridges.

Nearly a decade after the project was taken up, the authorities have officially announced the launch of bus services on the BRT lane from Gazipur to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, on the Victory Day.

However, this has raised doubts among commuters about fully benefiting from the project in its current state.

At present, two air-conditioned buses are operating on an experimental basis, with passengers from Shibbari in Gazipur to Gulistan in Dhaka via Abdullahpur along the BRT lane.

Passengers on these trial buses have reported negative experiences due to ongoing construction work at various locations.

Project officials have indicated that the people will have to wait until next June to fully experience the benefits of the 20-kilometre route, stretching from the Dhaka airport to Joydebpur in Gazipur.

The BRT project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on 1 December , 2012. After three rounds of revisions, the project’s cost has soared to 42.68 billion taka. Initially slated for completion in December 2023, the deadline has been extended multiple times.

The most recent target was August of this year, but that was not met. The government then set a new inauguration date for December, although the project faced setbacks, including damage during the student-people uprising, which led to uncertainty about the inauguration.

On Saturday afternoon, following an inspection of the project, Senior Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, Md Ehsanul Hoque, addressed the project’s status at a meeting at the Shibbari BRT Station in Gazipur.

He acknowledged that while the road will be opened, several issues will remain unresolved for the time being.

He stated, “Nearly 98 per cent of the project work has been completed, and the remaining tasks will continue even as bus services begin.”

Ehsanul Hoque expressed hope that the project will be fully operational by June of next year.

On Monday, from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm, work continued at various points along the BRT project route, from Shibbari in Gazipur to Abdullahpur in Uttara.

However, it was observed that no station was fully completed. Many foot-over bridges remained unfinished, and escalators and lifts had not been installed at any station.

While some sections of the BRT lane were separated by iron railings, much of the divider work remained incomplete, raising concerns about potential accidents. Additionally, the construction of a flyover from Mymensingh to Dhaka at the Chandana intersection was still pending.

At the outset, it was expected that 25,000 people would commute every hour on 100 articulated buses through the BRT project, significantly reducing traffic congestion on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

However, local residents now fear that traffic congestion will worsen once the BRT lanes are exclusively designated for BRTC buses. Currently, general vehicles continue to use these lanes in many areas.

Even if BRT buses operate smoothly on their designated lane after the inauguration, there is concern that traffic will shift to the two adjacent lanes, further exacerbating congestion.

Hasan Abdullah, a resident of the Board Bazar area and a student at Tongi College, expressed his concerns, saying, “We are very hopeful that something as impactful as Dhaka’s elevated expressway or metro rail will come through. But we’ve been suffering because of this project for a decade, and we are still unsure if we’ll benefit from it.”

In response, BRT project director Md Rezaul Karim told Prothom Alo  that the entire project is not being inaugurated at once; only the BRTC bus operation is starting.

He reassured that the construction of all the stations has been completed, with finishing work such as electricity connections, elevators, and escalators still underway.

Rezaul Karim added that while the buses will begin plying, the remaining tasks will continue.

The project director anticipated that the project would be fully completed within the stipulated time.

Around 8:30 am on Monday, this correspondent visited the BRT Shibbari station counter, where two passengers were sitting. Driver Pappu Mia and counterman Md Ibrahim were chatting nearby.

After a while, as a few more passengers arrived, the counterman began issuing e-tickets using a small device.

After waiting for 1 hour and 13 minutes, the bus finally departed at 9:43 am with only 16 passengers onboard. Without making any stops, it reached the Chandana intersection station in just nine minutes, where three more passengers boarded.

Bus driver Md Pappu Mia mentioned that passenger turnout is low due to insufficient publicity and the limited number of buses.

He believes that once more buses are available and depart on schedule, the number of passengers will increase.

The bus arrived at Board Bazar station at 10:03 am, taking 11 minutes to travel 5 kilometers on the busy highway. With no more passengers, the bus continued along the BRT lane.

However, at 10:09 am, a few vehicles entered the BRT lane in the opposite direction near Auchpara in Tongi, causing a brief traffic jam. The bus was able to continue with the help of traffic police.

Although one passenger got off at the Tongi Station Road station, no new passengers boarded. The bus finally reached Abdullahpur in Uttara at 10:26 am, taking 43 minutes for the entire journey from Shibbari.

While on the bus, I spoke with trader Abdur Razzak, who shared his dissatisfaction: “I’m going to Dhaka to buy goods for my shop. I boarded this bus without thinking much, but after waiting for an hour, people like me won’t use this service if it operates like this.”

BRTC manager Nur-e-Alam informed Prothom Alo that two buses are currently operating. After the official inauguration on 16 December, buses will run every half hour from Shibbari to Gulistan starting at 6:30 or 7:00 am.

Professor Md Mozammel Haque from the Civil Engineering Department at Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology, Gazipur, told Prothom Alo that he and others have opposed the project from the beginning.

He pointed out the lack of adequate footpaths for workers commuting between Gazipur and Tongi, especially given the many garment factories in the area.

Despite these concerns, he emphasised that, considering the significant investment in the project, it is now crucial that the operation and management be handled effectively.

* The report, originally published in the print edition of Prothom Alo, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat