South Korea Boosts Bangladesh’s Smart Journey with New Expressway: A Major Step Towards Development
Bangladesh celebrated the official opening of its first elevated expressway, marking a significant stride toward transforming the nation into a Smart Bangladesh. The South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh, Park Young-sik, expressed his delight and emphasized that the Korean government and companies would extend their utmost support to assist Bangladesh in its pursuit of progress.
Ambassador Park Young-sik recognized the expressway’s inauguration as a pivotal moment in the country’s journey towards becoming a Smart Bangladesh. He emphasized that a strong start would lead to meaningful outcomes for the nation. Commuters were thrilled to experience reduced travel time, as the expressway enabled them to reach Farmgate from Kawla in just 10 minutes, traveling at speeds of up to 60 km per hour.
During his visit to the N8 Expressway Management office and other relevant points, the ambassador, accompanied by members of the Diplomatic Correspondents Association, Bangladesh (DCAB), acknowledged the challenges in comprehending the concept of Smart Bangladesh. However, he noted that witnessing the automatic toll collection system on the Padma Bridge and other related activities provided him with a better understanding of how Smart Bangladesh functions.
The ambassador proudly stated that South Korea has emerged as a valuable partner in Bangladesh’s development, particularly in contributing to its infrastructure growth. Citing a recent report by World Economics, he highlighted Bangladesh’s status as the fastest-growing economy in the Asia-Pacific region among 32 countries, confirming the nation’s remarkable progress.
Ambassador Park expressed his country’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh in its pursuit of a Smart Bangladesh in every possible way. He emphasized that the target of achieving developed nation status by 2041 is profoundly meaningful and aspires to emulate past collaborations where Korea aided Bangladesh in developing its readymade garment industry.
Korean officials underscored the advanced tolling system’s significance, showcasing an integrated payment and clearance system at the N8 Expressway and Padma Bridge. Korea aims to introduce a similar system throughout Bangladesh, encompassing all tolling points. The system offers multiple payment options, including cash payment, touch-and-go payment with pre-charged cards, and automatic fee collection, leveraging advanced mechanical and Artificial Intelligence Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) & Object Recognition methodology.
Korea Expressway Corporation’s Jinwoo Park elaborated on the benefits brought by the advanced toll collection systems, including increased efficiency, reduced labor and operational costs, higher revenue collection, real-time data analysis, enhanced security, improved customer service, reduced travel time, and cost savings. The highly anticipated automatic toll collection system for the Padma Bridge awaits government approval, with the Korea Expressway Corporation having completed the installation of the Hi Pass touch-and-go service alongside the existing cash payment methods.
The N8 Expressway, spanning 55km with four lanes, marks Bangladesh’s first expressway connecting Dhaka with Bhanga in the southwest via the Padma Bridge. Under the contract, the Korea Expressway Corporation will install the Hi Pass automatic toll service and intelligent traffic management systems on the N8 Expressway. They will also be responsible for toll collection, road and structure maintenance, safety patrol, and disaster management for five years after the system’s opening.
The inauguration of Bangladesh’s first elevated expressway highlights the nation’s commitment to progress and development. With South Korea’s assistance and expertise, Bangladesh takes a significant stride towards its vision of becoming a Smart Bangladesh, fostering economic growth and enhancing efficiency in its infrastructure systems.
