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Special Assistant to the chief adviser Sheikh Moinuddin has said some immediate measures have been taken to resolve the transport-related problems, including timely implementation of projects through evaluating cost and ensuring better coordination between agencies concerned.
Identifying some major problems in the road transport sector, he said two teams have been formed-one to hold meeting every other week to resolve related problems and another to scrutinise project cost with the 'second eye' before approval.
"It is a bureaucratic failure. Over the last 40 to 50 years, there has been a lack of coordination-no one talks to each other, knowledge isn't shared either, which is frustrating like other sectors," Dr Moinuddin said while exchanging views with the members of Reporters for Rail Road (RRR) at the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority on Wednesday.
Dr Moinuddin, who has the experience of working in California Department of Transportation for over 35 years, joined as the special assistant on April 6 to help the government restore discipline in the most chaotic sector which is largely dominated by political power.
Describing the road and transport sector as the backbone of the economy, he said as there is a huge gap between the preparation of Development Project Proposal (DPP) and its approval, tender announcement and contract award, efforts will be taken to reduce delays.
No project should go to tender before completing the land acquisition and utility shifting, he said, adding that procurement time also needs to be shortened significantly from 13-14 months, as the entire situation may change due to the gap in time.
The transport expert said finding a solution to the city's persistent traffic snarl-up is the most challenging task. Route rationalization will be given top priority and efforts will also be made to hold meetings with all transport owners and workers, he added.
Besides, he said, resuming traffic signal system in the city's one corridor from Airport to High Court is one of the government's big initiatives, which will make the traffic system more manageable.
Efforts are also underway to ensure better coordination between Dhaka Metropolitan Police, and Dhaka South and Dhaka North City Corporations involving experts, he said.
He revealed that a policy has been drafted on the battery-operated rickshaws and auto-rickshaws while students will be trained to ensure that city buses are not parked illegally.
A website will also be developed which can be accessed by agencies concerned to track ongoing projects in the road and transport sectors so that they can plan in a proper and coordinated way, said the special assistant underlining the need for bringing issues like planning and land acquisition under the umbrella of a single authority to speed up the process of implementation.
DTCA Executive Director Neelima Akter moderated the meeting.
smunima@yahoo.com