WB pledges $150mn to Dhaka North for metro station-based transport corridors
The World Bank (WB) has agreed to provide a loan of $150 million (approx Tk1,600 crore) for the development of the transportation system and other infrastructure centred on the metro rail stations in Dhaka North areas.
The global lender will work with Dhaka North City to implement a project, named "Integrated Corridors Management (ICM)", to develop each metro rail station from Mirpur-12 to Bangla Motor for the convenience of passengers and pedestrians.
Under this pilot project, dozens of electric vehicles will be purchased. In addition, walkways and parking facilities for cars, motorbikes and bicycles near the stations will be constructed, said Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul Islam after a meeting with Guangzhe Chen, Vice President for Infrastructure at WB, at the World Bank headquarters in Washington DC on Monday.
Atiqul Islam told The Business Standard (TBS), "If we can implement this World Bank project, the transportation system of Dhaka North will improve greatly. There is a plan to add 50 electric buses to the public transport under the project. If everything goes well, I hope to start work in November this year."
"It is a great achievement for us that the World Bank has expressed interest in giving the funds during this global economic crisis. If we can succeed in this pilot project, the World Bank will gradually finance other projects planned for the capital," the mayor added.
Brig Gen Muhammad Amirul Islam, Chief Engineer at Dhaka North, told TBS, "Although the roads under the metro rail lines have been developed to some extent, most of the connecting roads to and from the stations are not suitable for mass transportation. Metro stations in the world's developed cities have integrated corridor management for the movement of passengers. Dhaka's metro stations will also be developed as such."
"The World Bank has agreed to provide financial support for this project. If all goes as per plan, the funding is expected to be approved by the World Bank's board next November," he added.
Mayor Atiqul Islam will also speak on Dhaka's public transportation condition and future planning at the "Transforming Transportation 2023: Accelerating Toward Green and Inclusive Mobility" conference at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC on Tuesday morning (local time).
Representatives of different cities across the globe will be present at the two-day conference on 14-15 March.
Transforming Transportation 2023, the 20th edition of the flagship event, will be an in-person, face-to-face experience.
Transport professionals will meet and engage in innovative ways to learn, interact, and create new connections. New online features will also enable virtual attendance of most sessions.
The conference will consider the current economic scene, post-Covid recovery, and COP27 commitments as starting points to reimagine transport in order to make it more inclusive, safe, sustainable and efficient for everyone. ***