Dhaka-Gazipur BRT: Just another busride down rickety roads

After 12 years of approval, a project budget of Tk4,268 crore coupled with an estimated Tk5,000 crore in financial losses due to traffic jams caused by construction; at least 11 lives lost in project-related accidents, over a hundred lives lost in ambulances stuck in gridlock, and countless daily struggles for the people of the area, the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service is finally here to put an end to people's suffering. 

Or, is it?

So, on Wednesday (25 December), I took a BRT ride from Gulistan to Shibbari, Gazipur, and back to figure that out.

Upon arriving in Gulistan, I found that a bus had just departed for Shibbari. So, I bought a ticket for the next bus and waited for about half an hour. For Tk140, the ticket was provided from a handheld ticketing machine. True to the schedule, the bus started and left the depot on time.

Gulistan, Shahbagh, Khamar Bari, the Elevated Expressway, Dhaka Airport, Gazipur Chowrasta, and finally Shibbari — this is the designated route spanning approximately 42 kilometres. The bus took an hour and 40 minutes to reach the final destination.

On the way back, I did not have to wait much, as I was just two minutes away from missing the bus again. I rushed to buy a ticket and grab a seat on the bus. 

A common tragedy of government-run services is that no matter how good the government's intentions are, corruption always finds a way. I, for instance, got an unexpected discount of Tk10 on my return ticket — the seller gave me a ticket out of his pocket and asked for Tk130, even though the fare is supposed to be Tk140.

But this time, the bus departed the station 10 minutes later than the scheduled time. And it took me one hour and 40 minutes just to reach Banglamotor, where I got off once I saw the jam on the Farmgate-Karwan Bazar road.

In 2012, the project was approved with an initial budget of Tk2,040 crore, but later more than doubled after multiple revisions. While the original deadline was December 2023, the timeline was extended to August this year. But due to vandalism during the July Uprising, there was uncertainty regarding its inauguration.

And then, despite incomplete construction, the route was inaugurated on 15 December. While it is claimed that 98% of the work is finished, in reality, the flyovers, stations, and other key infrastructures remain incomplete.

The BRT lane, starting from the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and all the way to Shibbari, is a special lane, which is made solely for the BRT buses. The lane goes through the middle of the road, and on the two sides, two lanes are for other vehicles.

The stoppages are also in the middle of the road and passengers are supposed to reach the footpaths through overbridges, which do not exist. The stations are half-constructed, only the basic structure is visible. Walls, flooring, and the overall furnishings still remain incomplete. 

"The project is undoubtedly a good one. It has started its operations, but nothing is ready yet. The escalators, the lifts, even the stations are all incomplete," said Mohammad Nasir Uddin, a passenger from the bus I travelled in.

Remnants of vandalism and construction can still be seen on the road. In some places, half of the road is shut down by concrete blocks left haphazardly.

"Thousands of crores of Taka have been poured into the project. Yet, nothing about the project makes you believe that. The roads, as you can see, are nowhere near the promised ones," said Mohammad Abdul Hadi, a Dhaka-bound passenger. "You see, people are crossing the lanes, and walking on it like a footpath."

"The road is full of trash, polyethylene bags, and dust. Although the buses are air conditioned, the quality of the buses are not up to the mark — neither is the service," said another passenger expressing frustration.

While the lane is differentiated by small concrete blocks from other lanes, there are no railings, allowing people to cross it at whim.

The section of the route between Gulistan and Farmgate is another disappointment. On this stretch, the bus shares the same roads as local buses and other vehicles, facing the same problems such as traffic congestion and traffic signals.

Then comes the BRT lane itself. Although the lane was specifically made for BRT buses, during its inauguration, private cars and microbuses were also permitted on it to increase the utility of the lane. 

But in practice, the BRT lane works just like any other lane — battery-run auto rickshaws, CNGs, local buses, long-range buses, covered vans, motorbikes, trucks and everything in between use the lane as they see fit. 

"If other vehicles are allowed in this lane, it defeats the very purpose of having it. You cannot let the trucks and lorries use this lane," said Nasir.

A common tragedy of government-run services is that no matter how good the government's intentions are, corruption always finds a way. I, for instance, got an unexpected discount of Tk10 on my return ticket — the seller gave me a ticket out of his pocket and asked for Tk130, even though the fare is supposed to be Tk140. 

The surprise only registered in my mind after a couple, who arrived just after me, asked for two tickets and the seller took Tk280 from them, printed two tickets from the machine, and gave them only one. The other one went into his pocket, destined for someone else who would pay the seller directly.

Besides this, there is no one to monitor if a passenger is paying the right fare or not. For instance, if you bought a ticket for the Gulistan-Airport route, but do not get off the bus until you reach Shibbari, no one is going to check the validity of your ticket. 

Furthermore, as there were no supervisors, or conductors, or helpers in the bus, some passengers missed the right stop.

"There is no supervisor on this bus, so we could not get off at the right destination; the bus went further than that," said a woman, carrying a child on her lap.

"The ticketing system could be done like the one in metro rail. That would be more convenient and transparent as well," suggested another passenger. "That would ensure everyone is paying the right amount and no corruption is taking place."