Move to consolidate Dhaka buses under one company

The process to consolidate Dhaka city buses under a single company named “Dhaka City Transport” will start on December 1 this year with the aim of disciplining the public transport sector and reducing traffic congestion.

Pilotage of the bus franchise system will begin with 120 buses on the Ghatarchar-Kanchpur route, Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said yesterday at a press briefing after the 18th Rationalization Committee meeting. of the bus lines yesterday.

The mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation, Md Atiqul Islam, was also present.

The 21 km route will cover areas such as Bosila, Mohammadpur, Elephant Road, Shahbagh, Paltan and Motijheel.

Mayor Taposh said, “Initially we will be launching services on one route, but it will be phased in on the other routes in this cluster.”

“We took over the 12th meeting on October 6, 2020. Within a year, working in the midst of the pandemic, we completed the complicated task of streamlining routes,” Taposh said.

The mayor of South Dhaka said the old buses would not be running on the road. Only buses manufactured after January 1, 2019 can operate under the new company.

He also said that the Bangladesh Bank has allocated a loan of Tk100 to the bus owners. Thus, they can take out a loan from the fund if necessary.

Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul Islam said all of the company’s buses will be identical in design and color. Drivers and trained and licensed workers wearing uniforms will be permitted to provide services.

“We will have the design of the bus by October 14th. We will finalize the design by October 20, ”said the mayor of Dhaka North.

Atiqul further said it has built 16 bus bays and 40 passenger hangars for the new service.

Expressing satisfaction with the number of buses allowed, Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation Secretary General Osman Ali said that currently 125 buses from two companies – Rajanigandha and Maloncha – are operating on the road carrying around 10,000 to 12,000 passengers per day. Thus, 120 buses are sufficient for the moment.

At Tuesday’s meeting, no discussion took place on the bus fares on the route.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder told The Business Standard: “We had set the rate at 2.20 Tk per kilometer earlier, but it is not yet fixed and today. hui, no discussion took place on the matter.

The construction terminal is underway

The Bus Line Rationalization Committee selected 12 acres of land in Ghatarchar for the construction of a bus terminal. Construction work on a depot will begin shortly, an official with the Dhaka South City Corporation said.

In addition, work is underway for the establishment of four inter-district bus terminals in Hemayetpur, Keraniganj, Ghatail and Bhagai.

The rationalization of bus lines, an original idea of ​​the late mayor Annisul Huq

Former North Dhaka Mayor Annisul Huq first took the initiative to streamline bus lines or operate bus services under one company in 2016. The initiative lost momentum after his death in 2017.

Then, the issue resurfaced following the student-led road safety movement in 2018. That year, a 10-member committee was formed with representatives from government agencies, the police, transport owners, workers and experts. The then mayor of South Dhaka, Sayeed Khokon, was the organizer of the committee. He hasn’t made any progress either.

Finally, the current mayor of South Dhaka, Taposh, joined the 12th meeting of the bus line rationalization committee on October 6, 2020. Then, along with the others, he started the process.