Bus Route Rationalisation: First meeting in six months to focus on Basila-N’ganj route
After months of stalling, the Bus Route Rationalisation (BRR) committee -- formed to bring discipline to Dhaka's chaotic bus operations -- is set to sit next week, to set up the first of the six proposed routes stretching from Ghatar Char in Basila to Narayanganj.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) will present a proposal at a meeting of the 10-member committee on October 6, according to sources. DSCC Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh will preside over the meeting, scheduled to be held at Nagar Bhaban.
The move will be taken on a pilot basis. The government eventually plans to bring the entire public bus system of Dhaka city and surrounding areas under six companies, according to the plan.
"We have already completed most of the work regarding the route," said public transport expert Dr SM Saleh Uddin.
Currently, there are 15 routes on which buses ply from Ghatar Char to Narayanganj. The proposal aims to bring these 15 routes under three cluster routes. Three sub-companies will be put in charge of these clusters. They will all be under one company, said Saleh Uddin, a member of the committee.
"The route will be discussed in the meeting and a decision may be reached," he said.
The "Bus Route Rationalisation and Operation of Bus Services on Company Basis in Dhaka" initiative was first taken by late mayor Annisul Huq.
The plan looked to bring all buses in the capital under a few companies, each to be provided with permits for their respective routes and made responsible for proper public transport management and minimising congestion.
However, after his death in late 2017, the project lost momentum.
The issue came back to the fore after the 2018 road safety movement, where students demonstrated for safe roads following the death of two college students in a road accident in Dhaka on July 29.
On September 9 of that year, a 10-member committee -- comprising of representatives from government bodies, police, transport owners, workers and transportation experts -- was formed, with then DSCC Mayor Sayeed Khokon as convener.
However, the project faltered again since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, as the committee failed to hold any meetings in the last six months.
Tuesday's meeting will be the first since Taposh took charge as Dhaka South City Corporation mayor in May.
"We have primarily selected 22 routes in Dhaka and its periphery for the plan," Saleh Uddin told this correspondent.
After observing outcomes of the pilot plan, the project will be subjected to some modification after considering demands of other projects like metro rail, he said.
Till July 1, 2019, as per BRTA Route Permit Data, there are 291 active routes with 9,027 buses and minibuses permitted to operate in Dhaka, said a DTCA official.
The study identified 520 locations of existing bus stops, along the 291 existing routes, Saleh said.
According to him, the committee has already prepared proposals for bus bays, bus stoppages, ticket counters for the pilot route, which will be presented at the meeting.
While the number of major bus companies will be six, some subordinate companies may also come under the six mother companies based on necessity, he added.
Kazi Md Shifun Newaz, assistant professor of Accident Research Institute of Bangladesh University of Engineering Technology said the ongoing delay to adopt the system is not acceptable.
He said this system is already being applied in different countries and Bangladesh can also adopt it quickly. What is needed is political decision for its implementation, but six years have already passed.
"I think it is not possible to implement within six months, but it is also not work of six years," he said.
"To implement the bus route rationalisation system, some important things will have to be followed, and I hope they are doing it," Newaz added.
These include making all buses same coloured, giving drivers uniforms, stopping only at designated stops, drivers appointed based on salary and not trip based, drivers trained on road safety, buses brought under a digital system so that a passenger can easily know about its position and can know when they can get the next bus.
All these ingredients will have to be included in the pilot route, so that they can implement the system properly, he suggested.
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