Ctg city enters ‘Smart School Bus’ era

Upon boarding a smart school bus, students will now need to tap their smart cards, which will instantly alert their parents of their whereabouts and boarding time. Similarly, as the students get down, another message will be sent, informing guardians of their children's drop-off location and time.

Moreover, the guardians can monitor their children's movement through IP cameras installed in the bus and track the location of the bus through GPS tracker. 

Equipped with these smart technologies, 10 smart school buses started their journey on the streets of the port city of Chattogram on Monday.

Divisional Commissioner of Chattogram Mohammad Tofael Islam along with Chattogram Deputy Commissioner Abul Basar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman and noted poet and journalist Abul Momen formally inaugurated the bus service at MA Aziz Stadium premises.

To pay the bus fares, students need not carry cash. They can recharge their smart cards anytime through bKash or Nagad from which the smart machine will deduct the fare automatically.  

Boarding onto the first-ever smart school bus, the students beamed with excitement as the bus service transformed their daily commute, offering enhanced convenience and safety.

On the other hand, the guardians said the service would alleviate their worries about their children's commute to school.

In a bold move to establish Chattogram as Bangladesh's first smart city, the district administration has embarked on an ambitious project to revamp 10 double-decker school buses, currently operating on five city routes, into technologically advanced smart buses.

For this, an app has been developed, introducing a suite of smart devices, IP cameras, and GPS trackers seamlessly integrated into every school bus. Each student enrolled in the smart bus service is equipped with a personalised smart card, facilitating a seamless boarding and drop-off process. Upon boarding and disembarking, students simply tap their smart cards, registering their presence and ensuring accurate attendance records.

Abdul Malek, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) IT and Education, told The Business Standard, "Our proposal to convert school buses into smart buses won a nationwide competition, securing Tk1 crore from the government for project implementation."

Chattogram DC Abul Bashar Mohammad Fakhruzzaman, said, "Now 10 double-decker buses operate on 5 routes from Bahaddarhat-Muradpur to New Market via Chowkbazar-Gani Bakery-Jamal Khan-Cheragi Pahar-Andarkilla-Lal Dighi-Kotwali and from Oxygen to Tigerpass via Muradpur-2 No gate - GEC intersection." 

He said fearing for children's safety on public buses, guardians often escort them to and from school, hindering working mothers' careers. Smart bus services alleviate these concerns by enabling real-time child monitoring via IP cameras and GPS trackers.

"Smart school bus service will be expanded to some new routes, covering schools in Halisahar, Boropole, EPZ, and Mohra areas," he added further.

Minhaz Chowdhury, the chief coordinator of the school bus monitoring team, told TBS, "3,000 students have already registered for free for availing the smart bus services."

With 10 buses presented by the Prime Minister, the district administration started a bus service for the students in the city donated in January 2020 to ensure their safety on the roads. 

The school buses have been transporting 2,000-3,000 students for three years. Ten new smart buses on five new routes are anticipated to double the service's capacity.