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Bangladesh has completed negotiations with the World Bank (WB) to get a $290- million loan to combat air pollution by operating environment-friendly electric buses and improve air quality, officials said.
The government would purchase 100 such buses, as well as set up 12 vehicle inspection centres (VICs) and 20 vehicle emission detectors in Dhaka and outside the capital, they said.
Three government agencies - the Department of Environment (DoE), the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), and the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) - would implement the project, officials at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the implementing bodies said.
"We have recently completed negotiations with the World Bank to get the loan. We are hopeful of the loan finalisation by next month," said a senior ERD official.
Under the proposed Bangladesh Clean Air Project, the World Bank loan would be utilised to purchase environment-friendly electric buses, strengthen air quality management, and check air pollution, he said.
According to the agencies, the DTCA would purchase 100 EV buses, which would ply the capital on a test basis.
If the pilot is successful, they would expand the fleet in the future to tackle air pollution, the ERD official said.
A DTCA official said they would also make guidelines for the private sector in the near future on the operation of electric buses so that such companies can also run environment-friendly vehicles on city roads.
A BRTA deputy director told The Financial Express the agency, for the first time, would set up five mobile VICs at five important points in the capital to check emissions.
"Besides, we would install seven VICs in seven district towns across the country under the World Bank-funded project," he added.
Twenty mobile vehicle emission control machines would also be set up across the capital to check pollution created by buses, cars, trucks, and other motorised vehicles.
On the Air Quality Index, Dhaka is the worst city in the world with its massive levels of pollution.
Thousands of motorised vehicles running daily on the Dhaka roads emit toxic gases like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.
"Since Dhaka's air pollution situation is worse compared to other cities, we are going to implement the project to check environmental degradation," said a DoE official.
The DoE would work to strengthen air quality management, reduce emissions, and protect the environment. "We would install more emission monitoring mechanisms in the capital under the World Bank-funded projects," said the DoE official.
Another ERD official said they are waiting for the approval of the $290 million loan at the World Bank board meeting next month.
"We are hopeful of getting the approval. We are making preparations to sign a loan deal after the World Bank board's approval," he added.
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