BRTC to bring all city buses under e-ticketing by December
The state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) has taken a move to bring all city-service buses under its jurisdiction, operating in Dhaka and adjacent areas, under an e-ticketing system by December this year, aiming to reduce the hassle of passengers and improve overall services.
As part of the plan, BRTC will start e-ticketing services for all 71 BRTC buses operating from Gazipur to different destinations in Dhaka from today.
BRTC launched the e-ticketing service last year, and so far introduced this system on eight city routes.
The development came as e-ticketing service for buses on the Mirpur route started partially on Saturday, as part of the private bus operators' plan to bring all city buses under the system within February next year.
Until Saturday, helpers of almost all private buses collected bus fares manually without providing any tickets and in many cases, overcharged passengers, resulting in arguments among passengers and bus staffers.
But under the e-ticketing system, bus staffers provide tickets using POS (point of sale) machines, following the government-fixed fare chart, leaving little scope for overcharging and altercation.
In a press conference on Saturday, Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association General Secretary Khandkar Enayet Ullah announced to start e-ticketing services for all buses on all routes in Dhaka and adjacent areas gradually.
After the Mirpur route, 60 bus companies will introduce the system from January 31, 2023, while 97 other companies will run their buses under e-ticketing from February 28.
This means that operations of some 5,650 buses in Dhaka and its suburbs will be brought under the system by February 28.
BRTC spokesperson Amjad Hossain said work is going on to bring all 71 buses operating from Gazipur to different destinations under the e-ticketing system.
"As per our plan, we hope to bring all city-service buses under e-ticketing service within December this year," Amjad, also the general manager (accounts) of BRTC said.
More than 300 BRTC buses are being operated under some 40 routes in and around Dhaka city, said a BRTC official, requesting anonymity.
Besides, over 300 buses, which provide services to government staffers, also provide city services after their duty hours for a set amount of time, he added.
Currently, BRTC operates over 1,400 buses in Dhaka and other districts in the country, said the official.
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