Bus owners an obstacle to rationalisation of bus routes: Dhaka mayors

• Experimental bus services under a single company on Keraniganj-Kanchpur route deferred till 26 December 
• The route covers Bosila, Mohammadpur, Elephant Road, Shahbagh, Paltan, and Motijheel
• The test run will start with 30 BRTC buses
• The fare for this 21-km route has been set at Tk2.20 per km

The initiative to bring Dhaka city buses under a single company called "Dhaka Nagar Paribahan" (Dhaka City Transport) has been deferred once again.

Due to lack of cooperation of bus owners, the experimental bus service, from Ghatarchar in Keraniganj to Kanchpur, will start from December 26 instead of the previously announced date of 1 December.

Dhaka South Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh made the announcement during a press briefing at the DSCC Nagar Bhaban on Sunday, following a meeting of the Bus Route Rationalisation Committee, formed to restore order to public transport in the capital.

He said the pilot test run on this route, covering Bosila, Mohammadpur, Elephant Road, Shahbagh, Paltan, and Motijheel, will start with 30 BRTC buses. The fare for this 21km route has been set at Tk2.20 per km.

Taposh, also president of the Bus Route Rationaslisation Committee, said, "The initiative taken to introduce buses on this route from 1 December could not be implemented. There are many stakeholders in the chaos that has long piled up in the public transport sector of the capital. It is very difficult to bring discipline to all the problems. However, I am committed to implementing the initiative, overcoming the non-cooperation of bus owners and various other obstacles."

He said, "We have worked tirelessly for the last one year to restore order on city roads. Now we are close to meeting that goal. We have set up a pilot test route from Ghatarchar to Kanchpur on which buses will operate on a joint venture with Dhaka Nagar Paribahan. Later, buses will run like this all over Dhaka through several companies."

At the briefing, Dhaka North Mayor Atiqul Islam said, "We tried our best to launch the initiative on 1 December, but due to non-cooperation of the bus owners, it is not possible."

"We did not get the expected response from bus owners. Only six transport companies submitted their names. We urge entrepreneurs and franchisees to submit the names of their organisations," he said, adding, "Advertisements will be published on media for selection of the remaining 70 buses that would operate on the route besides the 30 BRTC buses. Private bus owners have to submit the required documents to the committee by 12 December."

The Bus Route Rationalisation Committee has selected a 12-acre plot of land in Ghatarchar for a bus terminal. The work on building a depot will start shortly, according to a DSCC official.

Work is already underway for setting up four inter-district bus terminals in Hemayetpur, Keraniganj, Ghatail, and Bhagai.

Former Dhaka north mayor Annisul Huq first took the initiative for bus route rationalisation or operation of bus services under a single company in 2016. The initiative lost momentum with his death in 2017.

The issue resurfaced once again following the road safety movement waged by students in 2018. That year, a 10-member committee was formed with representatives of government bodies, police, transport owners, workers and experts. 

Then Dhaka South Mayor, Sayeed Khokon, was the convener of the committee which also failed to make any progress. 

Finally, current Dhaka South Mayor Taposh joined the 12th meeting of the Bus Route Rationalisation Committee on 6 October, 2020. He and others started working on the rationalisation process once again.