Sources in the Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) said that five new routes have been proposed which could be developed to cover most of the city. Two among these five routes were fully segregated metro lines while the others were street-run Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The total length of the system will be 76 kilometers.

There are 13 proposed locations where interchanges between the five different lines of the system would be taking place.

"Metro lines and BRT will be a reliable and modern mass transit system which will ensure proper transport facilities for the commuters as they will be able to reach their destination without facing traffic congestion," a DTCB official said.

The STP, which had been initiated to design the city's traffic system for the next 20 years with a view to ease the ever increasing traffic congestion and ensuring a sustainable traffic flow and proper public transportation, is nearing completion. DTCB launched the STP in March last year as an extensive study. An American company LouiasPerger in cooperation with Bangladesh Consultant Limited is conducting the study at a cost of Tk 10 crore.

"The STP will be finally submitted next month (March)," said a DTCB official.

According to the STP, whenever the demand exceeds 20,000 passengers per hour, the tendency is to consider metro solutions and either Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) or Light Rail Transit (LRT) can be used to satisfy the demand.

Sources said Metro line system is to operate in a corridor between the Zia International Airport and Demra on 18.5 kilometers parallel to the existing railway line.

DTCB sources said the STP has considered the factors of urbanisation, expansion of the city's road network and its sustainability, total population and growth rate, the increase in number of vehicles and mode of transportation over the next 20 years.

The BRT line has been located between Kuril and Mohammad-pur and could be accessed from the north of old Dhaka. It will be 17.5 kilometers in length starting at the multi-modal interchange at Kuril where the at-grade BRT line interfaces with the Metro line (aligned underground). The route will run parallel with the Pragati Sharani.

"The BRT lines are divided into five routes that connect the DIT road to a multi-mode interchange with Metro. All the five routes are connected to other lines within the mass transit system," explained the DTCB official.

Modal interchange stations have been proposed at Kuril, Cantonment, Madani, Kamal Ataturk Avenue, Bangabandhu National Stadium, Bijoy Sarani, Tejgaon, Rampura, Sayedabad and Bangabazar.