27 defective Dhaka Metro Rail bearing pads identified as critical: Transport minister

Out of 730 defective bearing pads of the Dhaka Metro Rail route from Uttara to Motijheel, 27 defective bearing pads have been identified as critical, 147 have been identified as minor, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said today.

In the case of 297 pads, the defects are mainly related to the workmanship of the installed bearing pads, the minister said while responding to query of Abul Kalam MP at the parliament this evening.

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According to the information provided by the Independent Safety Audit Committee report, cracks or fissures of varying degrees have been identified in 46 piers, the minister said.

A pedestrian was killed and two others injured in October last year when a bearing pad from the metro rail pillar fell and struck them in Dhaka's Farmgate area. The incident occurred just 13 months after another bearing pad fell from the metro line near the same location, raising concerns about the safety of this highly technical mode of transport.

Rabiul Alam said according to the audit committee report, all faulty 730 bearing pads, are not critical. He said steps have been taken by the government to ensure safe travel for passengers, including solving the problem in the public interest.

To facilitate timely and effective implementation of the recommendations mentioned in the Independent Safety Audit Committee report, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) formed the “Safety Audit Report Recommendations Implementation Committee” on July 16. The committee has started its implementation activities with the aim of implementing the immediate recommendations of the Safety Audit Committee.

Among the measures already completed, steel brackets have been installed at 10 locations on piers where problems such as bearing pad displacement may occur.

Settlement markers have also been installed at 27 locations to measure bearing pad settlement. An initiative has been taken to replace 27 bearing pads, with a target of completing the replacements by November 30 of this year.

Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) is being appointed as a structural consultant to assess the risks posed by cracks or fissures of varying degrees in the 46 piers and determine repair strategies.

Structural crack gauges are being installed at 102 locations to measure and monitor structural cracks in the structures. The installation is expected to be completed by October 31 this year, the minister said.