Staff Reporter :
In a bid to implement quickly the Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (DMRTDP) line-6, better known as Dhaka Metro Rail, two tenders would be floated this year with a view to easing traffic jam and rendering fast but improved mass transport service in the capital.
“The tender for the procurement of rolling stock (coach and locomotive) and equipment of depot will be floated in October while tender for engineering and management (E&M) system in November this year,” project director and managing director of Dhaka Transit Company (DMTC) Ltd Md Mofazzal Hossain told a press briefing on Thursday.
The briefing was organised by DMTC, the implementing company of the project, in its conference room in the city.
The project director thanked the journalists for their interest and cooperation about metro rail project and laid emphasis on the necessity of a friendly bridge between the construction company and the country’s newspapers. He also sought cooperation of people for successful implementation of project.
In this context, he said basic topographical survey, traffic survey, geo-technical survey of field have already been completed while right of way survey, archeological survey, environmental baseline survey, soil electrical survey and utility verification survey will be completed soon. Building the metro rail is a fast track project of the Bangladesh government, Mofazzel said. “We are working very sincerely. We hope that by the beginning of 2016, tender will also be floated for civil and building works in depot and civil work for elevated station and viaducts,” he also said.
The project director is also expected that the company would face two big challenges to implement the project — one is transferring of the utility service from project’s lineament area and other is traffic management.
DMTC Finance and Admin Director Nurul Islam presented a video presentation on the necessary aspects of metro rail project. The aim of the presentation was to build a bridge to reach the people for a successful implementation of metro rail project.
On January 26, an amended Metro Rail Bill 2015 was passed in the parliament to curb traffic jam by ensuring quick and improved transport services in the capital.
The first phase of construction of the metro rail would be completed by December 2019, while the whole project would be completed by 2020, though project duration is 2024.
The metro rail project, the country’s second largest infrastructure project after the Padma
Bridge project, has faced complexities in the last few years over modification of routes
following objections from the Bangladesh Air Force and to avoid overlapping with the Gulistan-Jatrabari flyover.
The trains will run from Uttara to Motijheel via Pallabi, the west side of Rokeya Sarani and Farmgate, Hotel Sonargaon, Hotel Ruposhi Bangla, TSC of Dhaka University, Doel Chattar and Topkhana Road.
According to a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) study, the trains will operate every three minutes and carry 60,000 passengers an hour.
The JICA has committed to provide Tk16,594.59 crore for the project, while Bangladesh
government will allocate Tk 5,390.48 crore.
A Japanese consortium is now working on the detailed design of the project. It is also carrying out a topographical, traffic and geo-technical surveys in different parts of the project.
