Gulshan to get new rickshaw, bus services

Around a dozen air-conditioned (AC) buses and 500 special rickshaws hit the streets of the capitals' Gulshan and Banani areas today.

The bus service will be run by private operators under the coordination of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).

“Initially, around a dozen AC buses and 500 rickshaws will be introduced. The number will be increased if necessary,” said DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq.

Of the buses, some will operate from Natunbazar to Kakoli while some others will ply between Police Plaza near Hatirjheel and Gulshan-2. Each passenger will have to pay Tk 15 for travelling on any of the two routes, he told The Daily Star.

The rickshaws will have specific colour and will operate on different alleys adjacent to the thoroughfares in the area, he added.

Fares on around 20 destinations will be written on the back of the rickshaws so that passengers do not have to bargain with the rickshaw pullers, the mayor said.

Apart from the DNCC, different community-based welfare organisations and the Dhaka Metropolitan Police played a significant role in introducing the service, he said.

The authorities took up the initiative as police banned bus operation in Gulshan and Banani areas for security reasons following the July-1 Gulshan café attack that left 22 people, including 17 foreigners, killed.

The rickshaw pullers and bus drivers will be provided with ID cards, said an official of Gulshan police.