Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, while presenting the budget for the next fiscal year, said that no new road would be constructed within the current road network except union and rural roads, and highest priority would be given to the repair and maintenance of the existing roads.
‘We have planned to take an initiative to let the Roads and Highways Department and the Local Government Engineering Department together conduct a survey on mapping all roads across the country, and on the basis of that survey we will develop a 20-year plan for this sector,’ said Muhith in the Parliament on Thursday.
‘No new road will be constructed within the current road network except union and rural roads,’ he told the Sangsad. ‘The highest priority will be given to the repair and maintenance of the existing roads. This will require a crash programme.’
‘In widening the road network, vertical method should be adopted rather than the horizontal one…Where possible, toll collection system should be introduced for roads and bridges,’ he said.
‘Steps should be taken to introduce road pricing for the use of roads…In order to ease traffic congestion, sedans should not be allowed to ply the city roads unless three passengers travel together. Otherwise, extra toll should be imposed,’ Muhith added.
Muhith said they have attached importance to building a sustainable, safe and quality mass transport system to achieve the desired socio-economic development. With this aim in view, a 20-year Strategic Transport Plan has been approved by the government to establish discipline in the road transport sector, reduce accidents and ease traffic congestion.
He said that steps have been taken to implement the Mass Rapid Transit, Line-6 and steps are also underway to launch the Bus Rapid Transit for fast movement of buses between Gazipur and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and between the airport and Sadarghat.
The Elevated Expressway will connect Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport with Mayor Mohammad Hanif’s flyover instead of Kutubkhali point on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway by extending it to Kamalapur.
In addition, steps have also been taken to construct the Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Chandra.
‘Despite our sincere efforts, there has not been much headway in the construction of circular roads and railways around Dhaka,’ Muhith said.
He hoped to complete the long expected integrated development project of Hatirjheel area with Begunbari Khal to ease growing traffic congestion in Dhaka city before the next fiscal year.
The ten-kilometre-long Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover from Jatrabari to Palashi and the 3-kilometre-long Kuril flyover will be completed within 2012.
He said the construction of the 6.15 km Padma Bridge would begin very soon.
He said that steps have been taken to construct the 2nd Padma Bridge at Paturia-Goalando point under the PPP system. The feasibility study of Bekutia Bridge over the Kacha River across the Pirojpur-Jhalakathi road has been completed.