Why BRT-3 fails, again and again, to hit the target

Ending on time uncertain

As of now, regardless of the challenge being pushed again as soon as once more, forcing the federal government to provide an ultimatum to the contractors, challenge high-ups have little religion that the work will probably be completed on the revised time.

The progress of the challenge implementation stood at 68% until December final 12 months. Until July final 12 months, the progress was simply 61%, which means the implementation has superior solely 7 share factors up to now 5 months.

The principle drawback behind it has been the lowest-bidding contractors who’re additionally incurring losses. The longer the challenge has lingered on, the extra the prices have soared.

The preliminary estimated challenge price was Tk2,039.84 crore, which has now greater than doubled to Tk4,268 crore.

Contractors in fund crunch

“What has occurred is that the contractor [Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering Group Company Limited] received the tender by bidding the bottom. Now, as it’s incurring loss, it’s procrastinating,” mentioned Mohirul Islam Khan, the challenge director of the elevated a part of the challenge. “Because of this, the commuters are struggling.”

The challenge official additional mentioned the chosen contractors will not be securing sufficient funds to finish the job on time, as their important firm was not at all times serving to with cash.

“For those who make one cubic metre, it’ll price you Tk27,000. We give them Tk13,000 as a result of that’s what they bid,” mentioned Mohirul.

One other contractor, the China Gezhouba Group Firm Restricted, is developing the at-grade part of the challenge. Until July 2021, bodily progress was 61.70%, rising to 71% by December final 12 months.

On the delays, the challenge director mentioned that the federal government had given them an ultimatum to complete development works of the challenge by December.

“We must full the challenge by 2022. Now we have already warned the contractor that it must full the work by this time,” mentioned PD Mohirul.

Requested if he was certain the development can be accomplished by the revised deadline, Mohirul expressed doubt.

“Every time I urge the contractor to complete the work, they are saying that they don’t have any funds. Then, I ship the upper authorities a report that they might not work because of money move issues. That is how it’s. What extra can I do?” he mentioned.

The challenge director additionally mentioned that they had requested that the deadline be prolonged until December 2023, which suggests the four-year challenge can have taken greater than a decade.

The federal government took up the nation’s first bus speedy transit challenge (BRT-3) in 2012 to ease visitors congestion on the Dhaka-Gazipur Freeway, with it slated to finish in 2016.

The challenge is being collectively carried out by the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, Roads and Highways Division and the Native Authorities Engineering Division.

No cash, no supplies

Venture Director Mohirul Islam Khan mentioned that its contractor Jiangsu Provincial Transportation Engineering Group Firm Restricted was going through issues sourcing supplies too.

A lot of completely different supplies are required to assemble the elevated a part of the challenge, however cost delays have made suppliers reluctant.

Mohirul mentioned that the contractors had purchased supplies on credit score and had did not clear their dues. He talked about the instance of 1 metal firm that refused to supply any extra supplies if its earlier funds weren’t cleared.

The contractor has additionally tried to make use of substandard supplies on numerous events, the challenge director claimed. When the supplies failed the usual testing, contemporary purchases needed to be made which meant extra time was wasted, he mentioned.

Many subcontractors additionally opted out from working with the corporate as a result of they too weren’t paid on time.

“When subcontractors understood that they might not get cash quickly, they stopped doing their half. That is occurring too,” Mohirul mentioned.   

The challenge implementation on the at-grade a part of the challenge can be not passable. The contractor, China Gezhouba Group Firm Restricted, had bid the bottom to get the work, however it’s also going through a money crunch.        

ASM Elias Shah, challenge director of the at-grade half, mentioned that they might have taken the initiative of cancelling the challenge however didn’t accomplish that as it will imply extra time for the retendering course of.

“I consider the challenge will probably be accomplished by the top of December 2022,” he mentioned, including, the contractor had additionally hoped to finish the work by then.

Venture Director Mohirul Islam, nonetheless, was much less optimistic.

He mentioned that they’re revising the Improvement Venture Proposal and can search one other time extension until December 2023, which is one-and-a-half years extra.

“This contains buying buses. The authority will buy 103, and we must negotiate with the bus homeowners,” Mohirul mentioned.

“We perceive that the challenge can’t be accomplished by then. For this, we requested for an additional revision of the deadline until December 2023,” he mentioned.

In the meantime, challenge officers mentioned that they, in addition to the excessive officers of the federal government, have already contacted the Chinese language authorities, together with the Chinese language embassy in Bangladesh, and knowledgeable them concerning the state of affairs. 

They, nonetheless, mentioned that no punitive measures are being thought of as a result of if the contract was cancelled, the profitable bidders may file a case within the worldwide courtroom. The challenge will then should be stopped till a verdict is reached.

“Now, not less than one thing is occurring. Now, automobiles are plying the street, but when there’s a case then automobiles might not be in a position to take action. If the courtroom offers an injunction, nothing additional might be completed on the street,” Mohirul mentioned.

“There’s a enormous probability that we are going to win the decision, however we’ll win it two years later. Who will handle the roads for 2 years? The federal government understands this,” he mentioned.