The inhabitants of Dhaka city have long dreamed of having a metro train system, and finally, after much waiting, their wish will come true. With a population of 21 million, the Dhaka Metropolitan Area (DMA) is one of the world’s largest cities. With a population density of 47,400 persons per square kilometer over a total area of 300 square kilometers, the DMA is also one of the world’s most densely inhabited locations.
The metropolis of Dhaka is losing its charm as a result of daily population growth and escalating social problems. One of the issues that make life in cities for city people unbearable is traffic congestion. People in Dhaka City waste a lot of their valuable time by driving around aimlessly. In the metropolis of Dhaka, thousands of working hours are lost every day due to traffic, which also causes individuals to be late for work and wastes a lot of resources.
Traffic congestion has a negative influence on our economy and is a major roadblock to national progress. A nation cannot progress without enhancing its communication infrastructure. A country’s social-economic development depends on its ability to establish an integrated transportation system, and a successful transportation system makes life easier for everyone. Although the government has implemented a number of steps to reduce traffic, they have not proved successful. Recently, the government launched a massive effort to ease congestion in Dhaka. The Dhaka Metro Rail Project is an endeavor of the present Bangladeshi government to lessen the gridlock in Dhaka. Mass Rapid Transit is the project’s official name (MRT).
The long-term desire of Dhaka citizens, the metro train is one of the biggest projects of the current administration of Bangladesh. Rapid transit, or metro rail, is a contemporary means of transportation that is widely employed in many major cities throughout the world. The metro rail plan is approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in December 2012.
The project is being carried out by the state-owned Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL). This project is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), estimated cost of the total project is 20,000 crores, the Japanese government through JICA will provide TK 16,000 crores which is around 75 % of the total project cost of TK 22,000 crores as a loan at 0.01 % interest rate and the rest of project cost will have to manage by the Bangladesh government. The total length of the metro rail project will be 20.1 Km from Uttara to Motijheel having 16 stops. According to the JICA, 24 trains with six cars each train operate every three minutes and it will be able to carry 60,000 passengers every hour from both sides.
Without a doubt, metro rail will represent a significant milestone for Bangladesh and have a significant impact on the country’s transportation industry. After the project is completed, individuals can travel from Uttara to motijheel by bus in 40 minutes or less. The bus ride currently takes more than three to four hours. Both the amount of time spent traveling and the frequency of traffic accidents will be considerably reduced. People will be able to ride the metro rail extremely comfortably, even while standing. The metro rail would allow city dwellers to save a significant amount of time that might be used for constructive purposes. In addition to easing traffic in Dhaka, the metro train will improve the city’s aesthetic appeal.
In addition to enhancing our transportation infrastructure, metro rail will help boost the economy. After the metro rail project is finished, many job opportunities will be provided for the unemployed, which will have a significant impact on the economy of our nation.
This project will generate TK 200 billion in annual savings, which is equivalent to 1.5% of GDP and 17% of all tax collections. Another benefit of metro rail is that it is environmentally benign. Because mass rapid transit cannot harm the environment like other vehicles like buses or private cars, it makes it feasible to preserve effective communication while simultaneously protecting the environment.
Currently, approximately 64% of the project’s work has been completed, and the first phase (from Uttara to Agargaon) has been completed to roughly 90% of its original scope. Around 65% of the second phase of the construction project from Agargaon to Motijheel has been finished. Many employees and experts are laboring to finish the metro rail project on time, but owing to the covid pandemic it may not be possible. Despite this, they are continuing to work around the clock to finish the project. If all goes according to plan, metro rail will be able to launch its commercial operation by 2022, fulfilling the long-held goal of the people of Dhaka city.
Taslima Hyat is a Dhaka-based freelance journalist and researcher.
