Chinese co. to build US$1.1 billion Gazipur-Uttara BRT highway

[bluesky]

11 Nov 2016, 00:27:40

Chinese co to build BRT line from Gazipur to Uttara
Construction work begins soon

Munima Sultana


Work on the country's first bus-based rapid transit (BRT) corridor will begin soon.

The authorities concerned awarded on Wednesday the first contract of the project to a Chinese company for introducing the BRT line from Gazipur to Uttara.

Officials said China Gegova Group Company was qualified for the construction of 16-kilometre road and six flyovers for introducing BRT service from Gazipur to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by 2018.

The work order to the company was given on Wednesday after getting approval from the cabinet committee on government purchase on October 26, they added.

Project Director AQM Ekram Ullah said the Chinese company has been qualified being the lowest bidder among 10 companies from China, Bangladesh and India against its Tk 8.55 billion offer.

He said the contract with the company will be signed within three weeks after completing necessary formalities with the target to start the construction work from January.

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD), lead implementing agency of the Asian Development Bank-funded project, has planned to expand existing 20km road from Gazipur to Hazrat Shahjalal Airport to eight to 12-lane roads for introducing the country's first mass transit line.

Under the project named 'Greater Dhaka Urban Sustainable Transport ', Tongi bridge will also be turned into eight lanes.

The Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) are also engaged in constructing 4.5-kilometre elevated expressway and lane and by-lane, and an administrative building, refueling stations, washing and repairing plants for the BRT buses at the depot.

According to a study, the BRT system can transport 20,000 passengers in the corridor every hour.

Sources said tender process of the BBA and the LGED is in progress and both are likely to be completed in two to three months.

Though the BRT is considered as the cheapest investment project in the world, it has already proven costly in the country compared to cost of similar projects in the Philippines and Columbia.

The officials said this cost was hiked for carrying extra works to make the BRT corridor efficient for greater Dhaka through establishing sustainable transport system. It will be a multimodal transport corridor in the long run, they added.

According to the officials, RHD's part of the work, which was estimated Tk 4.31 billion, was hiked to Tk 9.09 billion for reconstructing, strengthening and overlaying of existing roads and pavements and 25 stations will be set up, and five flyovers will be constructed.

Cost of the BBA's part of the corridor has also been hiked from Tk 6.14 billion to Tk 12.62 billion.

The BRT corridor is likely to be connected with 131 roads including those between Dhaka and Mymensigh.

 

[bluesky]

According to a study, the BRT system can transport 20,000 passengers in the corridor every hour.

Even to transport 10,000 passengers in an hour It will require 200 buses (with 50 passengers each) every hour. It means, 3.5 buses must load or unload passengers every minute at the starting/end terminals. Guys, what do you think about the numbers I have written? Is it practical to think that the BRTC can understand the variables and build such efficient terminals? I am fully pessimistic about the number of passengers, but I am optimistic about the building of roads, bridges and other related facilities. What you people think about the whole thing?

 

[nang2]

Even to transport 10,000 passengers in an hour It will require 200 buses (with 50 passengers each) every hour. It means, 3.5 buses must load or unload passengers every minute at the starting/end terminals. Guys, what do you think about the numbers I have written? Is it practical to think that the BRTC can understand the variables and build such efficient terminals? I am fully pessimistic about the number of passengers, but I am optimistic about the building of roads, bridges and other related facilities. What you people think about the whole thing?

Read this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_transit

 

[bluesky]

Read this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_transit

"Johannesburg’s BRT, Rea Vaya, was the first true BRT in Africa, in August 2009, carrying 42,000 daily passengers.[citation needed] Rea Vaya and MIO (BRT in Cali, Colombia, opened 2009) were the first two systems to combine full BRT with some services that also operated in mixed traffic, then joined the BRT trunk infrastructure.[citation needed]."

Above is an excerpt from the Wiki link of yours. It says of 42,000 daily passengers. But, the proposed BRT news says of 20,000 passengers every hour. This is an absurd number. This is why I am not convinced of the news. However, our top people as well as news reporters similarly make wrong assumptions and are weak in simple math. However, I now believe that it is possible to carry 20,000 passenger in the BD's BRT highway.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

Even to transport 10,000 passengers in an hour It will require 200 buses (with 50 passengers each) every hour. It means, 3.5 buses must load or unload passengers every minute at the starting/end terminals. Guys, what do you think about the numbers I have written? Is it practical to think that the BRTC can understand the variables and build such efficient terminals? I am fully pessimistic about the number of passengers, but I am optimistic about the building of roads, bridges and other related facilities. What you people think about the whole thing?

My guess is,not every BRT bus will start journey from the end terminal like Gazipur or Airport.Some might start their journey from Board bazar or Tongi.Actually 60-70 percent passenger end their journey within Board bazar.Relatively few make their journey upto Gazipur,the end terminal of this BRT system.

 

[nang2]

"Johannesburg’s BRT, Rea Vaya, was the first true BRT in Africa, in August 2009, carrying 42,000 daily passengers.[citation needed] Rea Vaya and MIO (BRT in Cali, Colombia, opened 2009) were the first two systems to combine full BRT with some services that also operated in mixed traffic, then joined the BRT trunk infrastructure.[citation needed]."

Above is an excerpt from the Wiki link of yours. It says of 42,000 daily passengers. But, the proposed BRT news says of 20,000 passengers every hour. This is an absurd number. This is why I am not convinced of the news. However, our top people as well as news reporters similarly make wrong assumptions and are weak in simple math. However, I now believe that it is possible to carry 20,000 passenger in the BD's BRT highway.

"In real world conditions TransMilenio holds the record, with 35,000 – 40,000 PPHPD with most other busy systems operating in the 15,000 to 25,000 range."

PPHPD is Peak passengers per hour per direction. of course, citation is needed so I don't know how authenticate it is.

So, 20000 passengers per hour is likely for the peak hour. Nobody expects that rate at the middle of the night. Consider the population density of Bangladesh, it isn't a crazy number.

 

[bluesky]

So, 20000 passengers per hour is likely for the peak hour

No single spot in BD is capable of providing/managing 20,000 PPHPD for bus, except Dhaka. Even in Dhaka such a large terminal cannot be built because there is no such large space anywhere.

 

[Cyberian]

Good going Bangladesh. All the best for the project. I pray that its completed without any delay.