The authorities yesterday introduced 40 bus routes in the capital and its outskirts after rearranging previous 138 routes to bring discipline in the traffic system and ease vehicular movement.
The rearrangement does not close any existing routes as there would be 149 sub-routes within the 40 routes -- 20 for buses and minibuses in the city and 20 for the vehicles running between the capital and neighbouring districts.
"Rearranging the routes and fixing specific stoppages for buses of different routes will contribute to a cut in traffic congestion," DMP Commissioner Naim Ahmed, also chairman of Dhaka Metro RTC (regional transport committee), told the inaugural ceremony of the new bus routes.
However, commuters say success in containing traffic jam will depend on how well the traffic police will enforce the new system.
“The same policemen will be on charge to enforce the new system," said Mirpur resident Mehedi Hasan, expressing his doubt over its success.
According to the new system, buses must stop at specified stoppages and cannot stop elsewhere except at signals. Considering the rush of passengers, the number of buses has also been fixed on different routes and sub-routes.
Buses running in the city will be allowed to stop at five stoppages including both ends of their routes.
On the other hand, buses entering the city from a distance of five kilometres will be allowed to stop at seven stoppages and those from 10-kilometre distance will get six stoppages. There will be five stopping points for the buses coming from more than 10km off the city.
Each of the buses will have to inscribe its route number and company name on the windscreen and back and names of its stoppages on the left.
A certain number of seats will be reserved for women and the disabled. "No male passengers will be allowed to sit on those seats even if those remain vacant," the DMP commissioner said.
However, very few buses were found yesterday following the new order.
Asked, the DMP commissioner said it will take some time to compel all buses to adopt the new system.
"We'll however start enforcing the system from tomorrow [Tuesday]," he told The Daily Star.
Addressing the function, he warned of stern action if any bus driver violates the new system.
He also urged the owners, companies and leaders of different owners associations to direct the bus operators not to stop at the stoppages in a haphazard way hindering movement of other buses.
Additional Executive Director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) Dr Salehuddin, Joint Commissioner of Traffic Jasim Uddin, Member Secretary of Metro RTC Shafiquzzaman Bhuiyan, Bus owners association leader Abu Bakar Talukder, president of the association of bus companies Khandaker Rafiqul Hossain Kajol, among others, addressed the function.
The DMP commissioner also asked the individual bus owners to operate their buses in a cooperative system unless new route permit is given on expiry of permit for an individual bus.
Dr Salehuddin said they are constructing new bus bays at stoppages to comfort the passengers.
Kajol said a number of bus bays have already been grabbed and many government offices constructed portion of their buildings on the roads interrupting smooth traffic flow.
He asked the authorities to recover bus bays and remove such installations.