‘No longer worried about commuting to Old Dhaka from Uttara’

Mizanur Rahman, a businessman residing in Uttara for the past 20 years, is among the very first few people to have commuted through the newly opened Dhaka Elevated Expressway. 

"It [the expressway] will bring comfort to people's journey. Whenever I thought of going to Farmgate, Moghbazar and Old Dhaka area, I became worried," Mizanur Rahman explained while pulling up his SUV at the entrance to the Kawla point of the elevated expressway today (3 September).

Dhaka Elevated Expressway: First driving experience

A part of Dhaka commuters have bid farewell to their worries and frustrations as the Dhaka Elevated Expressway opened to the public at 6am today with a promise to revolutionise the transportation between northern and southern Dhaka. 

On the opening day, commuters shared their thoughts on this transformative infrastructure project with The Business Standard, expressing their excitement for a future free of traffic woes and lengthy commutes. 

The long-awaited expressway has left Monirul Islam, a 32-year-old microbus driver, in a state of euphoria. He was determined to be among the first to use the elevated expressway, leaving his home at the crack of dawn to ensure he could ply his microbus on this new route. 

"I am feeling great. Look, it takes only five minutes to reach Banani," Monirul exclaimed as he navigated his microbus along the expressway, reaching Kawla in the Airport area within a mere 12 minutes.

With the ban on three-wheelers and motorbikes, cars seemed to dominate the elevated expressway on its inaugural day, though some buses and covered vans also ventured onto the route. In just a few hours after opening, more than 2,000 vehicles had already crossed the expressway, showcasing the high popularity of this new option.

The expressway employees made sure to broadcast the message that CNG-run auto-rickshaws and motorcycles are not allowed via loudspeakers, discouraging motorcyclists from attempting to use the road while encouraging heavy vehicles to utilize the elevated expressway.

Even buses joined the excitement on the first day, with the Birdem General Hospital's staff bus being one of the first to cross the elevated expressway. Passengers on board were in high spirits, hailing the significant time-saving benefits.

Alamgir Hossain, a counter supervisor at Birdem General Hospital, highlighted the difference in his daily commute. "It takes around 40 minutes to one hour to come to Farmgate from the Airport area. Now it will take only 12 minutes, which means it saves around 30 minutes at the minimum," Alamgir said, underlining the importance of saving time during the early morning rush.

Dr Sanny Al Amin, who travels from the Gazipur College Gate area to Shahbagh, said, "I think by using the expressway, we can save around 40 minutes in the morning and one hour in the evening."

However, not everyone is celebrating. Barkat Ullah Bhulu, the president of Dhaka Metropolitan CNG Auto-rickshaw Owners Association, expressed frustration over their exclusion from using the expressway. He hopes the government might reconsider, drawing parallels with the initial ban on motorcycles on the Padma bridge that was later lifted.