The cabinet yesterday approved a revised Strategic Transport Plan (STP) extending its implementation time.

The new timeline to implement the STP is from 2015 to 2035 and includes several large expressways, metro rail, circular ring road and circular waterway project.

The previous timeline was 2005-2024.

The approval was made at the weekly cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office with PM Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Urban Transport Policy 2015 and draft of the Institutional Development Report 2015 were also approved at the meeting.

The revised STP identified two projects for urgent implementation. The construction of a new highway from Baorbhita of Munshiganj to Kaikartek in Narayanganj before the Padma Bridge is opened to traffic and completion of a road from the eastern side the Balu river to the western side of Dhaka Bypass before the beginning of the construction of the MRT Line-1.

The Mass Rapid Transport Line-1 will connect Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to Kamalapur, and later be extended to Gazipur and to Keraniganj Jhilmil Residential Area.

The STP was revised to develop the capital's internal road network, ease congestion and build a planned and coordinated modern mass transportation system, according to the summery of the revised STP placed by the Road Transport and Highways Division at the cabinet meeting.  

According to the new STP, construction of five more expressways, Dhaka-Ashulia Elevated Expressway, Dhaka-Chittagong Expressway, Dhaka-Sylhet Expressway, Dhaka-Mawa Expressway and Dhaka-Mymensingh Expressway, has been proposed.

It said proposals have been made to construct five MRT lines; MRT Line-1, -2, -4, -5 and -6, known as metro rail, and two Bus Rapid Transit corridors to ease traffic jams in and around the capital.

It proposed construction of three ring roads -- inner, middle and outer -- and eight other roads -- Dhaka-Joydevpur, Dhaka-Tongi-Ghorashal, Dhaka-Purbachal-Bhulta, Dhaka-Kanchpur-Meghna Bridge, Dhaka-Signboard-Narayanganj, Dhaka-Jhilmil-Ekuria, Dhaka-Aminbazar-Savar, and Dhaka-Ashulia-DEPZ.

At least 21 transport hubs (terminals) and circular waterways surrounding Dhaka will also be built.

The revised STP also proposed development of traffic safety and traffic management and reconstitution of the city public transport system through route rationalisation, formation of companies of operators and relocation of the bus terminals.

Implementation of short-, medium- and long-term projects has been suggested to cope with the additional vehicular movements in the future, which could almost double by 2035, says the summary.  

Contacted, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader told The Daily Star yesterday that the revised STP had been praised at the cabinet meeting for inclusion of a well-articulated plan to ease congestion.

The minister would brief media about the revised STP tomorrow.