DHAKA: Government is going to amend and update the Strategic Transport Plan (STP) soon to ease city traffic jam and develop the transportation giving emphasis on metro rail projects, said sources concerned.

Meanwhile, due to rapid urbanization, the area of Dhaka Transport Cooperation Authorities (DTCA) has already been extended from Dhaka metropolitan area to Gazipur, Manikganj, Munsiganj, Naraynganj, and Narsingdi.

For this reason, more emphasis has been given to the metro rail for better commuting of the people of these areas.

DTCA executive director Kaikobad told banglanews, “Necessity to amend and update STP has been appeared to resolve city’s traffic jam and transport problems.”

“The amended of STP has not been finalized yet, but more emphasis has been given on the metro rail project, so that some 60,000 people can commute to the city everyday,” Kaikobaid added.

The sources told, “An expert team from Japan will formulate the plan of metro rail project,” which the Executive Committee for the National Economic Council has already approved.

DTCA sources said that the amended STP would be implemented under the project titled “The Project on Revision and Updating of Strategic Transport Plan for Dhaka” with a total budget of TK 19.41 crore between the timeframe of May 2014 to September 2015.

Government in association with the World Bank had implemented the STP 2005, under which the “Urban Transportation Policy” was formulated with an implementation period of 2004 to 2024 giving importance to the urban expressway development.

At present, government is going to amend the STP giving importance on metro rail to ease the city transportation.

BDST: 1653 HRS, AUG 16, 2014