Nagar Paribahan: 100 buses on 2 more routes from tomorrow
When the first batch of buses, launched in December last year to introduce a new system in the capital's bus service, are struggling to provide expected services, two more routes are going to be brought under the system from tomorrow.
The new routes -- one from Ghatarchar to Demra Staff Quarters (route-22) while another from Ghatarchar to Kadamtali (route-26) in the capital -- will be launched with 50 buses on each route under the name of Nagar Paribahan.
Obhi Enterprise, a private operator, will provide 50 brand new buses for the Ghatarchar to Demra Staff Quarters route while state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation will provide 50 buses, procured in 2019, for the other route, said officials.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader will inaugurate the services from Bosila tomorrow. Two mayors of the Dhaka city are expected to join the programme.
The new routes -- one from Ghatarchar to Demra Staff Quarters (route-22) while another from Ghatarchar to Kadamtali (route-26) in the capital -- will be launched with 50 buses on each route under the name of Nagar Paribahan.
The service was supposed to be introduced on September 1.
The move came around 10 months after the authorities launched bus services on Ghatarchar to Kanchpur route under "single company, single-route" formula, with an aim to bring discipline to the city's transport system.
Currently, around 5,000 to 6,000 buses are being operated under over a hundred companies on around 400 routes, many of which overlap each other, in the capital and adjacent areas, along with several hundred BRTC buses.
Most of the private buses operate on a "trip basis" -- a system where bus owners receive a certain amount of money for each trip from the drivers, who often engaged in unhealthy competition to pick up more passengers.
This mentality among bus drivers is a major reason behind road crashes and traffic congestion in the city.
In the given situation, transport experts recommended for rationalising the bus routes and bringing all public buses under a fixed number of companies for better regulation.
Late DNCC Mayor Annisul Huq had taken initiative in this regard, which did not see light due to his demise. Later, the government in September 2018, formed a committee led by DSCC mayor in the chair to introduce the system and rationalise the route.
To introduce the system, the authorities preliminarily decided to introduce nine cluster under different colour and bring all the buses under 22 companies and all routes under 42 routes.
As per the decision, 54 existing routes would be brought under eight routes (from Route 21 to 28) under "Green Cluster". On December 26 last year, the new system was launched with 50 buses -- 20 from Trans Silva, a private bus operator and 30 double-decker buses from BRTC on a pilot basis.
But the services can't provide expected service to passengers, who often alleged that the buses pick up and drop off passengers randomly instead of dedicated stations.
On the other hand, operators alleged that the only dedicated buses should be operated on the route. But many buses without route permit operate on the routes due to poor monitoring by the authorities.
A BRTC official said the service isn't profitable for them as they have to provide all expenses for ticketing and station services and 35 percent of the daily income to the private bus operators.
An official of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), which is providing secretariat service to the bus rationalisation committee, said non-cooperation from the bus owners is the main reasons behind the struggle of their piloting service.
"We are trying to make the initiative successful, taking all stakeholders on board," he said.
He said among the 54 routes, 34 are inside the city and they are expecting to launch buses in all 34 routes within 2024.
He also said they will form a company after introducing buses in all routes of the green cluster within next year.
The Daily Star couldn't contact Shabiha Parvin, executive director of DTCA, over phone for comments.
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