Written by The Banking Post
The Revised Strategic Transport Plan (RSTP) has proposed three additional metro rail corridors for Dhaka, even as officials say the routes will function as bus priority corridors for at least the next two decades.
The update of the long-term transport blueprint is now at its final stage, with the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) carrying out a midterm review to reflect changes in demand, costs and implementation realities over the past several years.
Under the earlier RSTP, Dhaka was to have six Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) corridors and two Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lines by 2035. So far, only MRT Line 6 has been completed. Other metro projects have failed to meet timelines, with MRT Line 1, MRT 5 North and South stuck at the procurement stage, and MRT 2 and MRT 4 remaining at the planning phase.
Officials said the updated plan, referred to as the Updated RSTP (URSTP), proposes MRT Lines 3, 7 and 8 along three new corridors. However, these routes are expected to operate as bus corridors for the next 20 years, with the option of upgrading to metro rail as passenger demand increases.
Project Director Mohammad Rabiul Alam said consultants may later recommend converting bus rapid transit corridors into MRT lines if ridership justifies the shift. He added that the plan also proposes 11 citywide bus network corridors to be made operational by 2045, continuing the emphasis on buses seen in earlier transport plans.
According to the proposal, MRT Line 8 would run from Nimtoli to Gulshan-2 via Ghatachar, Mohammadpur, Bijoy Sarani, Tejgaon Link Road and Gulshan-1, with interconnections to MRT Line 6 and MRT Line 5 (North and South). MRT Line 7 is proposed from Chasara to Titakul through Signboard, Demra, Dasherkandi and Beraid.
During stakeholder consultations, some participants suggested converting planned BRT routes into MRT lines, especially after the government scrapped the BRT-3 project from Gazipur to the airport due to cost and time overruns. However, others cautioned against prioritising high-cost rail projects.
Officials noted that BRT corridors require significantly lower investment compared with MRTs. Developing a BRT corridor typically costs around Tk 40 billion or more, while an MRT corridor can cost Tk 600 billion or higher. They argued that lower-cost bus-based solutions should be prioritised to ease congestion in the short to medium term.
DTCA officials said consultants have not recommended building entirely new MRT lines over the next 20 years. Instead, the updated plan is likely to focus on extending existing MRT projects approved under the 2015 RSTP. Proposed extensions include MRT Line 1 from Kamalapur to Jhilmil, MRT Line 6 from Uttara Diabari to Tongi, and upgrades to MRT Line 2 towards Demra via Mohammadpur and Babu Bazar from Gabtoli.
The revised strategy reflects a shift toward phased, cost-conscious transport development, balancing long-term rail ambitions with immediate, lower-cost solutions to Dhaka’s worsening traffic congestion.
