46 Metro Rail Pillars Reportedly Develop Cracks

Bangla Press Desk:  A safety audit committee has identified 27 defective bearing pads on the metro- rail route as "critical" and detected cracks of varying degrees in 46 pillars, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam informed Parliament on Wednesday.

Responding to a question from Abul Kalam, Member of Parliament for Comilla-9, during the question-and-answer session presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed, the minister disclosed the findings from the safety audit report.

Sheikh Rabiul Alam said that according to the committee's report, not all 730 bearing pads on the metro rail route (Uttara to Motijheel) are critical. Minor defects were identified in 147 bearing pads, while issues in 297 pads are primarily related to installation workmanship. However, 27 defective bearing pads have been classified as critical. The audit report also identified cracks of varying degrees in 46 pillars.

The minister said steps have already been taken to implement the safety audit committee's recommendations. Steel brackets have been installed in 10 cases where issues such as bearing pad displacement could occur. Settlement markers have been placed on 27 bearing pads, and a program has been adopted to replace these 27 bearing pads by November 30 of this year.

Regarding the cracked pillars, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said BUET is being appointed as structural consultant to assess the risks and determine repair techniques for the cracks in the 46 pillars. Structural crack gauges are being installed at 102 locations to measure and monitor structural cracks.

Women's Bus Services Expanding

In response to a question from reserved seat MP Shaukat Ara Akhter, the Road Transport Minister said 14 women's bus (Pink Bus) services are currently operating on 13 routes in Dhaka, Bogura, and Chattogram. The government is in the process of importing an additional 100 electric vehicles (EVs) with a view to expanding women's bus services across the country.

BRTC Fleet Details

Responding to a question from reserved seat MP Sanjida Islam, the minister provided details of the state-owned BRTC fleet. He said the corporation currently has 1,298 buses and 525 trucks. Of these, 1,172 buses are operational while 126 are idle; and 494 trucks are operational while 31 are idle.

Karnaphuli Tunnel Investment Prospects

Responding to a question from Sarwar Jamal Nizam, MP for Chattogram-13, Sheikh Rabiul Alam said that investment opportunities identified around the Karnaphuli Tunnel were not realized on time due to various reasons. Following the current government's assumption of office, multiple initiatives have been taken to create new opportunities for industrialization and investment centered around the tunnel. The government is now working to transform the tunnel from a mere communication infrastructure into a vital foundation for the economic development, industrialization, tourism growth, and balanced regional development of south Chattogram.

In response to a question from reserved seat MP Nilofar Chowdhury Moni, the minister said that under the Road Transport Act, battery-powered auto-rickshaws are considered non-mechanical vehicles. Their movement on national and regional highways has been completely prohibited by law. Mobile courts are being operated to stop the movement of battery-powered auto-rickshaws on roads and highways.