'Unless DMTCL is empowered; the metro rail will land in problems': Japanese consultant forecast 5 years ago

(Note: In March 2020, I interviewed a top Japanese consultant for the Dhaka Metro Rail project who was about to return to Japan for a few months. I promised him that I would not release the interview until he cleared it. However, as he did not return I had to shelve the interview. But some of the insights he shared with me are too valuable to keep it shelved. I have therefore decided to omit his name and his position to run this interview)

A top Japanese consultant of the Metro Rail project five years ago in an interview with TBS said The Dhaka Mass Transit Company Ltd (DMTCL) would land into operational problems unless the owning company of the metro rail had equity in the project, and instead, it continued to be managed by the ministry.

The senior consultant has vast experience as a rail engineer and consultant, having worked in the Delhi MRT and Jakarta MRT projects—both of which were conceived in the early nineties.

He noted that the Dhaka metro project could learn from the (negative and positive) experiences of the Delhi and Jakarta MRT projects.

"The first phase of Delhi metro rail came into operation on December 25, 2002—whereas the Jakarta MRT launched its first phase only last year," he noted.

He said the Delhi project progressed very fast because the Indian central government and Delhi government paid 30 per cent equity, or $600 million, in the project, and the Delhi metro rail company was configured in a very well-organized and professional manner. The Delhi Metro board of directors could make its own decisions and there was no bureaucratic interference.

"Delhi metro had a strong leadership. As a result, it has already built 200 km of network and is expanding," he said.

In contrast, the Jakarta project went under the Jakarta local government—which became the execution agency. The local government did not invest in the project. The Jakarta MRT company was formed by the local government and became its subsidy. As a result, nobody could make a decision. Consequently, it took decades for Jakarta to build its first line.

"Bangladesh is neither India nor Indonesia. It has a powerful government that can do anything it wants. But the MRT implementation body does not have any power—that's the demerit," he said.

He also said that the single metro rail route number 6 would not see any big impact on Dhaka's unbearable commute situation. Once the government builds at least three out of the six planned routes, the city commute situation would drastically change.

"Upon completion of all the network, the city will change," he said, and "the (commuting) culture will change."

"MRT 6 is just one line. The effectiveness of only one line is not so good. Once you add line 1 and 5 with MRT 6—then the synergy will happen. Along with that if you have the Bus Rapid Transit—Dhaka will drastically change," he said.

As he was working in Bangladesh for seven years by 2020, Omori has been observing other commuting problems of the city. "Dhaka needs to ensure drivers' education. In Japan, a two-lane driving is a common practice. But in Dhaka, you will find five cars rowing on a two-lane road—creating bottlenecks. Everyone is in a competition.

A driver who is very brave and very rude wins in Dhaka. Until this situation changes, road transport will continue to be in trouble. People will drive cars even after the MRT comes into operation."

"A metro rail project has a high economic rate of return in terms of benefits deriving out of environmental, time-saving and economic activities. But its financial rate of return is very difficult all over the world as its tariff is cheap," he noted.