Committee formed for bus route rationalisation

The government yesterday formed a 10-member coordination committee for bus route rationalisation and bringing all public buses under a fixed number of companies, to bring public transport in the capital under discipline.

The Local Government Division released a gazette notification, making Dhaka South City Corporation Mayor Sayeed Khokon the convener and panel mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation the joint convener.

The committee was asked to work on the issue and coordinate it considering the steps of late Mayor Annisul Huq, who envisioned the initiative.

The committee will also regularly inform progress of its work to the Prime Minister's Office, Local Government Division, and Road Transport and Highways Department.

Other members of the committee are chairman of Bangladesh Roads Transport Authority, chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, chairman of Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha, Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner, public transport expert Dr SM Saleh Uddin, secretary general of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association, president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers' Federation and executive director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority.

Annisul Huq had taken the initiative to facilitate the introduction of 3,000 new buses to be run by only five operators.