Filmmaker Abu Sayeed, who introduced the moving road concept, yesterday requested the prime minister or her representatives to visit his exhibition on the idea at central public library premises in the capital's Shahbagh, which runs until  March 12.

The exhibition on the concept of this "Moving Road" started on March 3, Sayeed said while speaking at a press conference there.

He claimed that his concept of creating an overhead moving walkway would ease Dhaka's traffic congestion to a large extent. 

He said the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) has not taken any initiative to establish a pilot project at Gulshan Park at the cost of Tk 7.5 crore, in spite of government approval.

 "However, the Governance Innovation Unit under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on August 17, 2019 approved the pilot project for DNCC to set up a 500m moving ramp, aiming to inspect its usefulness and functionality," he added. 

According to the concept, the moving road will be constructed above existing footpaths, or on one or two lanes of the road. It will have two parts: a fixed platform, and a moving section similar to walkways in airports.

The road, six feet in width, will be elevated 10 feet above the ground, with stations at every 200-metre interval. It will stop every two minutes for ten seconds for passengers to get on and off. There will be seats on the road, as well as standing space.

Abu Sayeed claimed that a one-kilometer stretch of moving road -- that will run on electricity -- could transport 10,500 passengers within a minute or two.

He further made the ambitious claim that this "unique mode of transportation" will cost one-fifth of the metro rail, with a cost of around Tk 200 crore per kilometre.

The same length of metro rail costs over Tk 1,000 crore, he said.

Besides, it will give city dwellers respite from traffic and air pollution by reducing dependency on public and private vehicles. People can also walk on the platform as footpaths are occupied, he said.