Public Transport System in Dhaka
ADB, Bangladesh sign $160 million deal
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) yesterday signed an agreement with Bangladesh to provide a loan of US$160 million to help the country develop sustainable urban public transport systems in greater Dhaka.
The assistance will help build a 20km bus rapid transit (BRT) route in Dhaka North City Corporation and Gazipur City Corporation areas, which form part of northern Greater Dhaka.
It will establish the first modern mass transit system in Bangladesh pursuing a holistic solution for integrated urban mobility, the Manila-based lender said in a statement.
Saifuddin Ahmed, joint secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), and M Teresa Kho, country director of ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission, signed the deal at a ceremony at the ERD in Dhaka.
The assistance for the “Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project†will also construct sidewalks, mixed-traffic lanes, high-capacity drainage system, BRT depot and terminal facilities, and 155 access roads for non-motorised transport.
The BRT airport terminal will be developed as an intermodal hub under a public-private partnership scheme.
With an inclusive approach, the project will install 1,000 energy-efficient streetlights along the corridor, improve 10 local markets, nine drains, 141 local roads, and two pedestrian-friendly pilot roads, and further improve traffic management. The project will directly benefit more than one million people.
“To ensure a sustainable future for Dhaka, public transport focused on people's mobility needs and accessibility has to be improved and given priority over simple road projects,†said Kho.
The total cost of the project is US$ 255 million. Agence Française de Développement is expected to co-finance the project with US$ 45 million, while the Global Environment Facility will provide US$ 4.60 million. The Bangladesh government is also providing $45.40 million.
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