The government starts a feasibility study next month for building a circular railroad around Dhaka which is expected to ease traffic congestion, officials said.
A meeting at the Finance Division last week approved a human resources structure for the study. According to the Railways Ministry proposal, the rail route will enable commuters to travel from one corner of the city to the other without entering the city centre.
The route will provide the people with a better and more efficient traveling facility avoiding the capital’s severe traffic jam, the proposal reads, adding that this will also help sub-urban people of Gazipur, Narayanganj, Keraniganj, Savar and Munshiganj enter and exit from Dhaka.
About 15m people live in the mega city of Dhaka which is expanding every year in terms of areas and population, but its transportation system has failed to cope with this increasing pressure.
The proposal says the total cost of the study will be Tk29.32 crore and the study will end in December next year. During the period, several surveys will be conducted by the consultancy firm, including detail topographic, hydro-graphic and soil investigation surveys.
Construction of such route was an election pledge of the ruling party.
