Trial run Dec 10-11

The trial run of a regular passenger bus service between Dhaka and Guwahati in Assam will be held on December 10 and 11, an official announcement of the Indian government said in Delhi yesterday.

"To study and finalise the routes and start the bus services to Dhaka from Shillong and Guwahati, a joint technical survey/trial run is being organised on December 10-11, 2014 from Guwahati to Dhaka", the statement said.

The trial run will be carried out jointly by delegations from India and Bangladesh by way of a dry run of the service to assess route conditions and other technical parameters, it said, adding that the dry run will conclude in Dhaka on December 12.

Thereafter, the two countries' delegations are expected to submit their reports on the details and feasibility of starting of the regular bus services.

The Dhaka-Guwahati bus service, which will go via Shillong, the capital city of Meghalaya of India, will be in addition to two passenger bus services to Dhaka already operating from Kolkata in West Bengal and Agartala in Tripura.

Negotiations between the two countries for starting the bus services have been underway for the past several months and have gathered momentum, said the statement.

The proposed bus service covering approximately 500 kilometres starting from Guwahati will be taking the Shillong-Dawki (Meghalaya)/Tamabil (Bangladesh)-Sylhet-Dhaka route.

The Indian delegation for the trial run will be led by W. Blah, superintending engineer of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. The delegation will also have representatives from the ministries of finance, home and external affairs apart from the state governments of Assam and Meghalaya.

The flag off the trial run is scheduled at 9:00am on December 10 from Guwahati.

The Bangladesh delegation consisting of 7 senior officials for the trial run will reach Guwahati on December 9 and proceed to Dhaka on December 10 by the bus along with the Indian delegation.