The draft of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Act 2016 is expected be placed in front of the cabinet today.
The law will regulate the BRT system designed to reduce traffic jam in Dhaka and adjacent areas through an dedicated bus route with the capacity to transport 40,000 passengers per hour on the Gazipur - Airport - Jhilmil route.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary MAN Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “We have already sent the draft BRT Act 2016 to the cabinet division but we do not know when it will be ratified.”
“This is the first ever Bus Rapid Transit route in the country. So it requires a proper law for its construction and operation,” he said.
The draft act stipulates special provisions for land acquisition, construction of the metro rail and compulsory licences for metro rail operation.
It also stipulates the formation of an authority to fix bus fares on the route, inspection and monitoring of the BRT system, insurance coverage of metro rail and passengers, quality control and punishment for violations.
Initially, the law will be effective in Dhaka, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Manikganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi districts. The government will include other districts in the list by issuing gazette notifications.
The draft proposes a fine and imprisonment for operating the BRT without a license or for illegally handing over a licence, creating obstructions on the route. Commuters without valid tickets may also be fined or imprisoned.
According to the law, a public limited company named Dhaka Bus Rapid Transit Company Limited (DBRTCL) will be formed to operate the BRT system. DBRTCL will be supervised by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA).
The project began in late 2012. The February 2015 deadline for completing detailed design of the bus lanes from Airport to Gazipur has not been met. However, the project authority has floated a tender for the BRT Gazipur depot recently.
