Dhaka Elevated Expressway: First driving experience

It usually takes me a drive of around 90 minutes to come to my office in New Eskaton from my Uttara home. If I am lucky, this 19-km drive can be completed in an hour. When out of luck, it can easily be 2.30 hours.

It's the same story for anyone living in Uttara commuting to an office in central Dhaka on a daily basis. It's also why I rarely have friends coming to my place. This also explains why people sometimes almost miss their flights at the airport.

I must check with Google Maps daily before starting for the office. Should I take the regular drive through the Airport road via Tejgaon through the Moghbazar flyover to come to New Eskaton? Or should I take the Uttara third phase road under the MRT through Mirpur 12, Mirpur 10- Farmgate-Bangla Motor to New Eskaton? There are more options: through the Airport road to Gulshan- Hatirjheel via Moghbazar. Or it can be Uttara third phase- Beribadh road- Gabtoli- Dhanmondi etc etc. Alternatively, one can use the Bishwa Road.

Dhaka Metro Rail can be an option if I am not using the car. In that case, I have to take a second vehicle from Agargaon or opt for a long walk to New Eskaton.

From today, I have a new option as the brand new Elevated Expressway has been partly opened to the public from this morning. It's been repeatedly said that one can reach Farmgate from the airport point (Kawla) in 10 minutes.

Well, it took me a nine-minute drive to reach Farmgate from the airport. The only other times I could match this feat were when there were hartals or when I needed to go there on a Friday morning. But on a regular day, this is far beyond imagination.

Also, I must note that there were no traffic jams at the entry or exit of the expressway. At least not today.

My total drive time from my home to the office was 45 minutes. It's mainly because I had to use the Mymensingh Road via Karwan Bazar—which is as terrible as it has been since the dawn of civilization!

The entry of the expressway was a pleasant experience. A sufficiently long approach road takes you to the Tollbooth so that you face no hassle paying the flat Tk80 toll for use of all kinds of cars to use the expressway (no matter where you exit—this is the fee). Unless people become crazy about using the expressway, it looks like crossing the toll plaza would not be a problem.

Driving on the expressway has a speed limit of 60 kmph. However, you'd be tempted to accelerate more— because it's free of the evils of Dhaka streets: the buses.

It's not that there is a restriction on buses. But local buses, which hit the break to stop anywhere to pick up passengers, have no reason to use the expressway.

The expressway also gives you a completely different perspective of the Dhaka city. You thought you knew what Dhaka looks like because you have lived here long enough? Wrong. The expressway will give you a partial bird's eye view. No garbage. No hanging wires. No construction muds etc etc. You get a long view of the city—which is not visible from the streets.

As the drive ends quickly and pleasantly and brings you down to earth, you'd then begin to wonder—how do I use the expressway from the Farmgate area? The exits and entries are quite far apart. Thereby, users will have to be accustomed to these points before the expressway becomes a popular option.

Did spending Tk80 feel too much?

Well, surely not the first time. But I do not know how I would feel if I had to use it daily. Let me find out over the next few weeks. Saving time aside, it saves you from road-related stress. On a daily basis, I curse the unruly buses which often try to smash my "plastic" car. The expressway saves you from this feeling of doom.

It would take a few weeks for all of us to understand the impact of this expressway on the city. But I have no doubts that once it's fully completed—it will make commuting a speedy and stress-free affair.