Two franchise city bus routes in 7 days: PM

The government has decided to launch franchise-based bus services on two routes in Dhaka within seven working days and introduce the system across 32 rationalised routes within six months.

The decision was taken at a Cabinet Division meeting at the Secretariat on Thursday to bring order to the capital’s public transport system, improve road safety and reduce congestion. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman chaired the meeting.

Under the franchise model, a designated company will operate buses on each route and be responsible for vehicle fitness, discipline and legal compliance. The system will also introduce counter-based services, e-ticketing, GPS tracking and designated bus stops.

Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) Executive Director Mohammad Mashiur Rahman said 98 of Dhaka’s 418 approved bus routes are currently operational, with about 7,500 buses run by 66 companies. The DTCA has proposed reorganising them into 32 routes, about 70 percent of which correspond to existing routes.

He said the plan was prepared based on surveys of more than 10,000 passenger boarding and alighting points, the origins and destinations of over 35,000 passengers, vehicle counts at 52 locations over 72 hours and drone footage covering about 400 kilometres of roads.

According to the DTCA, competition among multiple operators on short and overlapping routes has created unhealthy competition, while unfit buses have contributed to accidents and congestion.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam said a September 28 meeting with bus owners had reached an understanding on company-based operations, with operators responsible for vehicle fitness and legal compliance.

Bus owners have been given two months to complete repairs, bodywork and repainting. Dilapidated buses failing to meet required standards may be removed from the roads.

The DTCA and DMP have been instructed to submit lists of bus stops and required improvement works to the two city corporations within seven working days, while the corporations will have three months to complete the upgrades. Buses will then be required to pick up and drop off passengers only at designated stops.

The meeting also discussed assessing circular routes proposed by the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP). The DTCA will coordinate with BRTC and bus owners to select eight routes for the initial operation of electric buses being procured by BRTC.
The government also plans to gradually relocate bus terminals from the capital and explore artificial intelligence-based traffic signal management.

The meeting further discussed the disposal of about 36,000 vehicles seized in various cases. Authorities plan to amend relevant laws to expedite disposal, as inadequate storage facilities are causing the vehicles to lose value.
The prime minister’s principal secretary, DMP commissioner and DMP additional commissioner (traffic) were assigned responsibility for addressing the issue.

State Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Road Transport and Bridges Habibur Rashid, Principal Secretary to the PM ABM Abdus Sattar, Local Government Secretary Md Shahidul Hasan, Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Dr Mohammad Ziaul Haque, DMP Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed and other concerned officials were present.