PM orders swift relocation of bus terminals at Sayedabad, Fulbaria, Mohakhali, Gabtoli

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday ordered the authorities concerned to swiftly relocate the inter-district bus terminals at Sayedabad, Fulbaria, Mohakhali and Gabtoli for easing traffic congestion in the capital.

The PM gave the instructions at the third meeting on curbing traffic gridlock and improving traffic management in the Dhaka city.

Communication specialist Dr Md Hadiuzzaman, and the administrators of the two Dhaka city corporations joined the meeting.

A section of Purbachal has already been selected for temporarily hosting the buses regularly parked at the Mohakhali bus terminal, Hasan Shiplu, the PM’s deputy press secretary, told reporters after the meeting. Later, it would be permanently shifted to Tongi in Gazipur, Shiplu added.

The Sayedabad-Jatrabari bus terminal will be relocated to the under-development Kachpur inter-district bus terminal project, he said.

The PM has already ordered for swift implementation of the Kachpur project.

Furthermore, the Fulbaria-Gulistan bus terminal will be relocated to Keraniganj and the Gabtoli bus terminal will be shifted to Hemayetpur in Savar.

The PM has also ordered that the bus counters set up arbitrarily across the capital be swiftly relocated to a designated place.

Dhaka South City Corporation Administrator Md Abdus Salam confirmed the relocation of Sayedabad bus depot.

Tarique ordered the officials to “appropriately manage the street hawker issue” so that hawkers are not evicted, nor are they left in chaotic manner on the streets to the detriment of general people, the DSCC administrator said.

Discussions were also held on the Bus Rapid Transit project. After 12 years, enough government money has been spent on the project to yield little benefit, officials noted at the meeting.

Shelving the project now would cause huge loss of public money, they said.

The PM has instructed to prepare a feasible plan within the next seven days for making the most of project funds, and make it most utilizable for the people.