The suggestions and allocation of resources in the STP have frustrated the experts, who have long been urging the planners to give topmost priority to pedestrians, followed by cyclists, rickshaws, public transports and then private cars.

Though pedestrians and fuel-free transportations (FFT) together constitute the highest share in the city's public transport system, the plan makers have suggested the lowest allocation of resources for those two significant segments.

While FFTs constitute 34 percent share and pedestrians 14 percent, the STP allocates for them only 0.44 percent and 0.24 percent resources respectively of the total investment.

According to the STP, if implemented, the proposed underground rail service will carry only 8 percent of the total traffic but the plan recommends allocation of 62 percent resources of the 5.2-billion dollar project for metro rail.

According to competent sources, initially transport solutions suggested in the STP were supposed to be based on detailed analysis of socio-economic factors but some ambitious infrastructures like elevated expressway and metro rail were incorporated without analysis as per wish of the then communications minister Nazmul Huda.

Installation of the metro (underground) rail will be an extremely expensive venture. According to sources, international financing institutions, multinational investor organisations, contractors and government officials concerned will be benefited out of such development work.

Khondker Neaz Rahman, an urban planner and architect, said that the foremost inconsistency in the STP is its negligence to the fuel free transport (non-motorised) and pedestrian facilities. Another is that it has not focused adequately on maximising the potential of the city's existing rail infrastructures and waterways.

"The STP is far more investor-friendly than people and environment-friendly," said Rahman, who is currently working on a strategic environmental assessment for Dhaka. "Because it recommends capital-intensive transport infrastructures."

Considering affordability of the general mass and environment, the STP should have explored opportunities for developing pedestrian-friendly and non-motorised transport facilities more, designating adequate lanes and spaces for them instead of recommending enormously expensive and investment-oriented infrastructures, he suggested.

The existing regular rail service within the metropolitan area should be exploited efficiently to derive benefits of metro services, he said, adding that the existing circular waterways around the capital city too can be of great service to ease up the city's heavily messed-up transportation, if utilised in an appropriate manner.

Experts at workshops organised by Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (Bapa) recently said that it is unfortunate that minimisation of vehicle-hour on roads has been set as the main target of STP, ignoring the mobility of the majority of the city dwellers.

According to review at the Bapa workshops, priority should have been given to ten people walking one kilometre to reach their workplace easily and conveniently than facilitating one person travelling ten kilometres by a motorcar.

Any plan to develop urban transport system must aim at harvesting maximum benefit out of minimum investment, said Rahman. But in this case, the scenario is quite opposite -- the highest investment to yield minimum benefit to the commoners and environment.

The proposed ambitious infrastructures like elevated expressway, flyovers and subway will be hardly of any use for the commoners though they have to pay for them, he said.

Dr Mahbubul Bari, senior assistant manager of model development, Transport for London, UK, attended a number of seminars on STP one organised by Bapa on June 10 and another by the Institute of Engineers, Bangladesh, on June 14.

In his critical review, he suggested complete ban on car parking on footpaths and introduction of car-free zones in the central commercial and shopping areas.

He mentioned that construction of three proposed elevated expressways would imply not only additional expense of 614 million US dollars but would also cast adverse impact on environment and transport system.

Though STP proposes for development of circular waterways, it allocates only 1.11 percent of the total investment, he said.

Professor Jobair Bin Alam of civil engineering department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) said the suggestions made in the STP are not well based on detailed analysis of feasibility and crucial related factors.

"The STP needs further comprehensive analysis of all the related issues," he said. "Socio-economic conditions, environmental and energy issues must be taken into consideration."

According to findings of the Dhaka Urban Transport Plan (DUTP) survey, pedestrians constitute 60 percent share of Dhaka's transport 10 years ago.

Prof Alam termed it just ridiculous and unacceptable that 60 percent share of the pedestrian in 1997 fell suddenly down to 14 percent in 2005 with no such tangible development in the society.

"The idea of metro rail was nowhere in the entire analysis of the planning process," said Prof Alam, who was involved with analysis of suggested solutions in STP.

"It is highly questionable how far the concept of metro rail is feasible in the present day socio-economic context of the country," he said.

"Components like elevated expressway and metro rail are not based on analysis of our existing social condition, economic affordability of the common masses, energy issue and environmental aspects," said Prof Alam.

According to him, Buet experts have vigorously asked the authorities concerned for detailed analysis of all the related factors like environmental consequences and benefit of general people before making any suggestions in the STP.

Experts at Bapa workshops said that metro system for Dhaka is technically difficult and potentially unfeasible. It will imply extremely high installation and operational costs.

Metro service requires constant supply of power but Dhaka that has perennially been reeling under load-shedding, is not in a position to run such rail service, they said.

Prof Alam said Bangladesh has to spend around Tk 15,000 crore on importing 3.5 million tonnes of fuel every year and half of the imported energy is consumed in transport sector.

Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury, who headed a 31-member advisory committee on STP, said that the advisory committee too submitted a report alongside the STP 'disagreeing with some recommendations' made in the STP.

"We differed with some of the recommendations made by the consultants," he said.

However, responding to the criticism of STP Additional Executive Director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) Dr SM Saleh Uddin said: "We have to keep pace with modernisation and development worldwide."

A 17-member high-powered taskforce has been formed, headed by Communications Adviser MA Matin and including 11 secretaries, to review the proposed STP in details.

The committee is reviewing which components will be viable in policy, financial and environmental aspects, he said expressing his hope that the plan would get the cabinet approval within a month.

The Louis Berger Group INC, USA prepared the 20-year STP and submitted it to DTCB on 16 January last year. The nine-month study involved Tk 10 crore funded by the World Bank. The development period of this plan is 2004 to 2024.