BIP calls BRT cancellation decision a 'black day', demands its withdrawal

The Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) has protested the government decision to cancel the BRT project and abolish the related agency. The organisation has also demanded withdrawal of the decision to convert the entire BRT infrastructure into a 3+3 lane highway.

The protest was issued on Tuesday (October 20) at noon in a statement signed by BIP general secretary, planner Professor Md. Mosleh Uddin Hasan.

The statement says the Bangladesh Institute of Planners has learnt from newspaper reports that the government has decided to cancel the BRT project and abolish the related agency. A decision has also been taken to convert the entire BRT infrastructure into a 3+3 lane highway.

BIP alleges that at the cabinet meeting on October 19, the government chose the last and worst option on BRT. The decision was not even announced at the regular post-meeting press briefing.

According to the organisation, this has created ample room for speculation that a section of the decision-makers is trying to hide something. The statement says BIP clearly sees a conflict of interest in this decision-making process.

Protesting the move, BIP has described the decision as a 'black day' in the history of sustainable, fuel-saving and inclusive public transport.

The organisation says the decision runs counter to the proposals of the Gazipur Transport Master Plan (GTMP) and the Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP) prepared for Dhaka.

BIP also believes the decision does no justice to the expectations and travel needs of the residents of Gazipur and Uttara, who have suffered for the past 14 years because of the project's construction work.

In this situation, BIP has demanded withdrawal of the decision to cancel the BRT project. It has also demanded the formation of a unified agency for the operation of BRT and MRT and other related activities.

The organisation has further demanded that a broader BRT plan be formulated for the whole of Dhaka city and other metropolitan cities of the country.

BIP has also demanded an end to the practice of project-based decision-making on transport infrastructure and the adoption of a plan-based approach instead. It has called for priority to be given to transport projects that save time and cost during implementation and serve more people, including women, short-distance passengers, persons with disabilities and people of limited means.

The statement further says the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) must be established as the lead agency for any transport planning decision in the greater Dhaka region, and BIP has demanded that the agency be placed directly under the control of the Prime Minister's Office.

The government has not yet given any reaction to BIP's protest and demands. The debate over the future of BRT is therefore expected to continue for now.