Staff Reporter

The government is set to launch company-based bus operations in the capital to restore discipline to the public transport system. However, even before the launch, dissatisfaction has emerged among several transport companies over route allocations and bus fitness issues. Despite these complications, the new system is scheduled to be inaugurated on six routes in the capital today, Sunday (November 1).

According to relevant sources, the programme will be inaugurated at 11:00 am on Manik Mia Avenue in the capital. Sources at the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) said Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, a member of parliament for Pabna-5 and chief coordinator of the Transport Owners-Workers Unity Council, may attend the inaugural ceremony.

Dissatisfaction Over Route Allocation

Rajanigandha Paribahan is among the companies dissatisfied with the route allocation. The company has operated buses on the Farmgate route for 36 years, but under the new system, it has been allocated the Kanchpur route. The company has applied to the DTCA through the bus owners’ association, seeking reconsideration of the decision.

Mohammad Amir, a driver with Rajanigandha Paribahan, said they had been operating buses on the Farmgate route for a long time. An application had been submitted to the authorities regarding the new allocation, he said. The company would join the new system if the issue was resolved.

Mohammad Mashiur Rahman, additional executive director of the DTCA, said route allocation complications remained for several transport companies, including Rajanigandha, Prajapati and Paristhan. Problems had also been identified with the fitness of some buses and compliance with the prescribed colour standards.

He said the authorities were working to resolve these issues. Although several companies might be unable to join the route rationalisation initiative at the initial stage, the programme would begin as scheduled. Regular meetings were being held to address operational and management-related complications.

Plan to Operate 816 Buses on Six Routes

Under the proposed plan, a total of 816 buses are scheduled to operate on six routes. Of these, 796 will be non-air-conditioned buses and 20 will be air-conditioned.

The plan includes 253 buses operated by VIP Paribahan on the Shib Bari–Dhakeshwari Temple route, 133 buses operated by Chiriakhana City Bus on the Mirpur Zoo–Keraniganj route, and 70 buses operated by Ramjan Ali Enterprise on the Ghatar Char–Demra route.

In addition, 150 buses operated by Four Star Bus Line are proposed for the Ghatar Char–Kanchpur route, 190 buses operated by PNP City Service for the Ghatar Char–Dhaur route, and 20 air-conditioned buses operated by Dhaka Chaka for the Tongi–Dhakeshwari Temple route.

The plan also includes operating 60 buses on three circular routes covering Farmgate, Mohammadpur and Uttara.

One Company to Operate Buses on Each Route

Under the company-based system, buses on each designated route will operate under a single company. The aim is to reduce competition among buses from different companies for passengers along the same route and improve coordination in operations.

The DTCA is working with the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) to implement the initiative.

According to the government’s plan, the existing bus network in the capital will be reorganised into 32 corridors. The plan also includes introducing designated bus stops, electronic ticketing and GPS tracking systems along these corridors.

The main objectives of the initiative are to establish discipline in the transport sector, reduce unhealthy competition among buses and improve the quality of passenger services. However, disputes over route allocations and complications related to bus fitness have emerged as challenges to implementation.