Dhaka cuts 98 bus routes to 32

To restore discipline to the capital's public transport system, the authorities have consolidated Dhaka's 98 bus routes into 32 restructured corridors, launching a trial run for company-based bus operations across seven designated routes on Sunday (November 1).

The initiative was formally inaugurated by Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed on Sunday afternoon under the Bus Route Rationalisation project. The 32 newly defined routes will feature six primary routes and 25 circular routes; each planned with distinct colour-coding and designated numbering for clear identification by commuters.

The DMP Commissioner noted that long-standing bureaucratic hurdles, a lack of inter-agency coordination, and non-cooperation from bus owners and workers had previously stalled the project.

Under the revised structure, buses that previously operated under 18 different banners across these six main routes have been reorganized into six single-company entities, with each company operating exclusively on its assigned route.

"In the new system, buses belonging to the same company will operate in a disciplined sequence. We expect this to eliminate the reckless competition that previously led to severe traffic congestion, collisions, and fatal accidents," the DMP Commissioner stated.

He further urged transport owners to replace the existing lease and contract-based driver model—which incentivizes dangerous driving for profit—with fixed monthly salaries for drivers and conductors.

In addition to the main corridors, 25 circular routes have been identified across the city, designated to operate 27-seater mini-buses running continuous loops within specific neighbourhoods.

Five of these circular routes have been selected for the initial phase, with one route debuting an air-conditioned (AC) bus service on Sunday. The remaining four routes will become operational within the next one to two months as newly ordered mini-buses arrive.

While time constraints prevented full colour-coding for the trial fleet, painting and branding will be completed shortly.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by key transport leaders and government officials, including Bangladesh Road Transport Owner-Worker Coordination Council Chief Coordinator Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) Executive Director Mohammad Masiur Rahman, and BRTA Chairman Mohammad Habibur Rahman.

-SA