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The nightmare project to develop the first BRT corridor from Gazipur to Airport is now facing legal complication over a bus-purchase tender as a Chinese bidder complained against its cancellation.
Sources said Zhongtong Bus Holding Company Ltd continued to lodge complaints against the cancellation of the tender to purchase 137 diesel air-conditioned buses for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor.
The bid was opened more than a year ago.
The Dhaka BRT Company faced the legal complication as the Supreme Court directed the High Court to settle the issue by May 30 following an appeal by Zhongtong.
But the court's month-long holiday starts next week.
The Chinese company filed an appeal with the Supreme Court against the Dhaka BRT's writ with the High Court this month for a re-tender.
The board of the Dhaka BRT decided to go for a fresh tender last November apprehending any potential complication in picking Zhongtong from lowest bidders.
The problem arose as a tender-evaluation committee found first three lowest bidders were of the same company or have shares.
Sources, however, said the Dhaka BRT filed the writ after the CPTU directed to re-evaluate the tender when the Chinese company lodged complaint to the CPTU after the board's decision.
The company floated the tender 15 January 2023 to purchase 137 diesel-run buses, deviating from its original plan of operating articulated buses and later electric buses.
The target was to start commuting 30,000 passengers per hour by June 2023, which was also missed due to its incapacity to complete necessary road infrastructure.
A BRT official, however, says the company has no problem in going for a re-tender for bus purchase as it is trying to complete the corridor by next December.
They will seek concurrence from the French funding agency for re-bidding soon.
The Dhaka BRT project was first approved in 2012 under a project styled 'Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport Project (GDSUTP)'.
It was aimed at making necessary infrastructure, such as an elevated road, expansion of bridges and crossings and the management of the 20-kilometre corridor.
However, the development project proposal (DPP) has already been revised twice, in 2015 and 2018, doubling the cost to Tk 42.68 billion from Tk 20.38 billion.
The last deadline for completion was June 2023, which was extended to December 2024.