100 electric buses to join Nagar Paribahan fleet: Mayor Taposh

Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has said 100 double-decker electric buses will be joining the Dhaka Nagar Paribahan service by this year.

"For the first time a whole cluster under bus route rationalisation is being opened," Mayor Taposh said following the 27th meeting of the bus route rationalisation committee on Tuesday (9 May). 

"We are going to open the whole green cluster, route number 21-28, by this year. Tenders will be floated soon. Further, by this year we will add 100 electric buses to the fleet of city transport," he added. 

Meanwhile, as Transilva failed to provide services in 21 routes, their route permit will be cancelled and buses will be confiscated, said the mayor.

There are nine clusters under the bus route rationalisation with a total of 42 routes in Dhaka. They are named after nine different colours. Under the green cluster, the routes are 21-28.  This was introduced with the aim of providing quality service to the people with new buses, replacing the unfit buses.

Until now the authorities were launching buses on one or two routes on an experimental basis However, this time, the authority going to open the whole of the green cluster. 

Authorities said the move will help to ease the chaotic traffic in Dhaka city; and as they are launching electric buses under this initiative, the city's environment will also benefit a lot.

Earlier last month, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the buses will be included in the BRTC's fleet in November.

Of the 100 buses, 80 will service the Dhaka metropolitan area, while 20 the Chattogram metropolitan area, he added.