Dhaka city subway project is risky, ambitious: Experts

A subway is not a sustainable project of socio-economic planning for Dhaka city and it is risky and ambitious too, said urban development and transportation planning experts.

"The government has decided to build subways on several routes as part of the Dhaka Metrorail project, but without any participatory discussion and detailed analysis of the economic and other aspects of the proposal. The decision is an unwise one," said Adil Muhammad Khan, executive director, Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), in an online urban dialogue.

The IPD organised the Friday programme, "Underground Rail Project in Dhaka: Utility Analysis in the Relevance of Sustainable Transport Planning". Adil Muhammad Khan, also professor of Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Jahangirnagar University, presented the keynote address.

"The project is not realistic for our Dhaka city due to its very high investment and operating cost, given Bangladesh's per capita income and economic capacity. As the construction of subways is a very expensive project, even the richest countries are not planning to take up ambitious projects like the construction of subways across a wide network of cities," he added.

While the per capita income of Bangladesh is about $2,000, it is $70,000 in the USA (35 times that of Bangladesh), $65,000 in Singapore (33 times), $50,000 in Germany (25 times), $45,000 in England (23 times), $40,000 in Japan (20 times). "As such, we do not have the economic strength to build subways," said Adil Muhammad.

He said it usually costs at least $300 million to build a one-kilometre subway line. However, in recent times, the cost of building subways is higher in Singapore and Hong Kong, up to $586 million. The initial cost of the Dhaka subway was estimated at $275 million per kilometre.

Bangladesh Institute of Planners General Secretary Sheikh Muhammad Mehdi Ahsan raised the question of how a huge amount was spent on a feasibility study of the project even though there was no subway proposal in the primary documents for Dhaka's transportation and city planning.

Transport expert SM Salehuddin, former executive director, Dhaka Transport Coordinating Authority, said the subway project does not fit in with the people, economy, or socio-culture of Dhaka city. At the same time, its overall cost is very high.

Instead of wasting Tk320 crore on a subway project feasibility study, thousands of quality buses could have been launched in the city. It would be effective in solving the traffic problem of Dhaka, he added.

The transport expert emphasised speedy implementation of bus route rationalisation in Dhaka city and making Dhaka a pedestrian-friendly city.

Planner Mohammad Ariful Islam, director, Institute for Planning and Development, called for reducing the pressure on Dhaka by building a planned township around Dhaka.

In 2005, a strategic plan was formulated for building a sustainable communication system in Dhaka in the light of which the Metrorail, Expressway, and BRT projects are being implemented.

Subsequently, a revised strategic plan was prepared in 2016 under which the government is taking other initiatives, including construction of new Metrorail routes.

Apart from the STP and RSTP proposals, the government is keen on the subway project to solve traffic congestion in Dhaka, whose feasibility study is underway.