The city’s first elevated expressway has officially opened but traffic is not moving as expected. If the ramp is not constructed the vehicle will not touch the expectation. The number of ramps has been reduced from 15 to 9. If the ramps are not completed soon, it will be difficult to repay the government debt of this expressway, named after Chittagong’s first martyr Wasim Akram in the anti-discrimination movement. It is feared that it will be impossible to meet the operational cost of the expressway with the current number of vehicles plying. 6 thousand 16 vehicles traveled on the expressway in 22 hours from Friday midnight to 10 pm yesterday. Toll collected is 4 lakh 19 thousand 6 hundred taka. However, there were more than 80,000 different types of vehicle traffic surveys on this expressway daily. However, even after excluding a few categories of vehicles, more than 60,000 vehicles are expected to travel on the expressway daily. Sources also commented that the city dwellers are not able to use the expressway due to lack of connectivity.
Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) Responsible sources said, Elevated expressway about 17 km long was constructed from Wasa junction to Patenga at a cost of 4 thousand 298 crores to speed up the traffic of the city. The project is fully funded by the government. Out of this 3 thousand 7 billion rupees is given by the government. The remaining Tk 524 crore is provided by the government as a loan. CDA will pay this loan amount to the government. For this reason, three flyovers built by CDA with government funds are toll-free in the city, but toll is being charged from the expressway. But the CDA will have to look for alternative sources to repay the government’s debt as the number of vehicles expected to ply is far from what it was expected to be, sources said.
A study by the Chute Bureau of Research Test and Consultation noted, About 81 thousand 471 vehicles will ply every day when the elevated expressway is opened. Out of this 39 thousand 428 cars and CNG powered three wheeler vehicles, Microbus, Covered van, Jeep 6 thousand 513, 5 thousand 38 minibuses and pickups, 3 thousand 389 buses, 5 thousand 664 trucks, 677 lorries and trailers, 5 thousand 814 motorcycles, 590 wheelbarrows and 14 thousand 358 rickshaws. Among these, CDA has been approved by the ministry to operate 10 types of vehicles on the expressway and fixed toll rates. Movement of container trailers and motorcycles has been banned from the ministry. The matter of rickshaws or wheelbarrows was not even taken into consideration. Even if these four categories of vehicles are excluded, the number of other vehicles mentioned in the survey is 60 thousand 32. But the car is running less than 5 thousand. Among them, the number of CNG taxis and private cars is more. The amount of toll being collected from these vehicles is given by the concerned officials of the expressway–Salaries of employees–Allowance, Maintenance and rising electricity costs will be difficult.
Ten types of vehicles are currently in operation. Among these, CNG-powered autorickshaw toll is Tk 30, Car 80 taka, Jeep and microbus 100 taka, Pickup 150 Tk, Four wheeler minibus and truck 200 taka, Bus 280 Tk, 6 wheeler truck 300 taka and covered van 450 taka.
Related sources said, The elevated expressway was not constructed as it was supposed to be. The CDA had planned to construct 15 ramps for the expressway from Lalkhan Bazar to Patenga in the city. Six ramps have already been removed from the project, which was approved in 2017. At present the number of ramps on the expressway has been brought to 9. Due to this, the connectivity of the expressway has decreased slightly. At present, out of the 9 ramps that are supposed to be constructed, only one ramp has been constructed. The important ramp at GEC intersection could not be constructed on time due to various obstacles. Lalkhan Bazar as this ramp is not available, There is no option to get off from Tigerpass or GEC junction.
At present, users have to board the elevated expressway at Wasa intersection via Akhtaruzzaman Chowdhury flyover from in front of Baby Super Market on Bayezid Road, Gate No. 2 in Muradpur or Sholashar. People in important and densely populated areas of the city have to turn around and push the traffic jam to get on the ramp. As a result, many users are going to Patenga on the ring road through the lower road or Sagarika instead of wandering around so much. As a result, the number of vehicles on the expressway is less than expected. Ramp at GEC intersection is under construction. Once it opens, the number of vehicles on the expressway will increase and the number of vehicles is expected to increase further after the opening of other ramps including Agrabad. At present, users of the elevated expressway can travel at the Patenga end. And there is a chance to get down from Patenga only to Lalkhan Bazar.
Elevated Expressway Project Director and CDA Executive Engineer Mahfuzur Rahman told Azadi., Initially, 10,000 to 11,000 vehicles are expected to ply daily. However, once the under-construction ramps are operational, the number of vehicles will increase a lot.
Source: dainikazadi.net
