Metro or monorail? Experts say Chattogram needs neither

Chattogram's push for a mass rapid transit system has sparked a debate between metro rail and monorail, but transport experts argue that neither should be the city's priority, saying authorities are bypassing cheaper and more practical solutions to congestion and public transport shortcomings.

The debate has emerged as the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) prepares a transport masterplan for the Chattogram Metropolitan Area. While the government is leaning towards metro rail, Chattogram City Corporation Mayor Dr Shahadat Hossain is actively promoting a monorail project.

According to DTCA, the "Transport Master Plan and Preliminary Feasibility Study for Urban Mass Rapid Transit Construction of Chattogram Metropolitan Area" aims to formulate a comprehensive transport strategy, reduce congestion and assess the feasibility of an environmentally friendly urban rail system.

Infographic: TBS

The project began in January 2023 and was initially scheduled for completion in June 2025. Its deadline has since been extended to December 2026.

The estimated cost is Tk70.63 crore, including Tk13.63 crore from the government and Tk57 crore in assistance from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Financial progress stands at 45% and physical progress at nearly 50%, although officials fear the remaining work may not be completed within the revised timeline.

A high-level DTCA team visited key roads in Chattogram from 5 to 7 June. Following the visit, DTCA Executive Director and Additional Secretary Dr Md Mashiur Rahman said the final masterplan and recommendations would be submitted by December 2026 after analysing passenger demand and traffic conditions.

He said technical assessments are underway to determine the most suitable mode of transport. Metro rail is being considered for high-demand corridors, light rail transit (LRT) for medium-demand routes and monorail for lower-demand areas.

However, Mayor Shahadat is pursuing a different path.

During a meeting with the DTCA delegation, he said the city corporation had already submitted a specific monorail proposal and held discussions with relevant ministries. The mayor hopes to complete feasibility studies by December and begin implementation work next year.

Last June, the Chattogram City Corporation entered into memorandums of understanding with two foreign firms, Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors, for the development of a monorail network.

According to the city corporation, the proposed system would cover three routes spanning 54.5km at an estimated cost of Tk25,000 crore. The entire investment would come from foreign investors, while the corporation would only have to provide logistical support and land.

Yet even as metro and monorail advocates present competing visions, experts are questioning the premise itself.

Mir Mohammad Kamrul Hasan, project director and traffic engineer at DTCA, said studies indicate metro rail is the only option capable of meeting Chattogram's growing transport demand through 2042.

"Monorail can carry only about one-third of the passengers of metro rail. It cannot meet Chattogram's long-term demand. However, the monorail may be considered as a feeder service to the metro rail," he told TBS.

Chattogram Development Authority chairman engineer Md Nurul Karim stressed the need for a careful feasibility assessment, saying any transport project must be economically viable while preserving the city's unique environment.

But transport planners and engineers remain unconvinced.

Engineer Subhash Barua, road transport expert and vice-president of the Planned Chattogram Forum, questioned both DTCA's capacity and the rationale behind pursuing another mega project.

He pointed to the troubled Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project between Dhaka and Gazipur and argued that authorities have failed to implement even basic traffic reforms in the capital.

Barua described metro rail and monorail proposals as just politically driven ambitions detached from ground realities.

He said Chattogram's major corridors, particularly from Bahaddarhat to Patenga, are already crowded with flyovers and elevated motorways, leaving little room for additional rail infrastructure.

He also criticised planning processes that overlook informal transport users and local travel patterns, particularly women's reliance on rickshaws.

According to Barua, decentralising development and focusing on upazila growth centres would be more effective than pouring investments into costly urban megaprojects.

"Instead of spending thousands of crores on the wrong solutions, improving traffic management and public transport can solve 80% of Chattogram's transport problems," he said.

Engineer Delwar Majumder, former president of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), Chattogram Centre, echoed similar concerns.

He argued that authorities appear to decide on projects first and then conduct feasibility studies to justify them, rather than determining whether the projects are actually needed.

Majumder referenced the Karnaphuli Tunnel and the Elevated Motorway as instances where design concerns and economic viability were overlooked.

"The tunnel is not attracting the expected traffic. Its operating costs and foreign debt obligations are now creating significant pressure on the national economy," he said.

He added that authorities should first exhaust low-cost options such as traffic management reforms, lane discipline, pedestrian facilities and improved bus services before moving to expensive rail-based systems.

"Metro rail and monorail should be considered only in the final stages of transport planning. However, in Chattogram, authorities are bypassing fundamental steps and opting directly for the most costly solutions. Consequently, the current approach is heading in the wrong direction," he stated.

While experts agree that a metro rail or monorail can be built technically, they insist the central question remains whether such projects would be economically sustainable, widely used and genuinely beneficial for the people of Chattogram.