Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) operates 27 buses on eight inter-district routes a day from Chattogram. Working people are seen suffering from the transportation crisis on the first or last working day of the week. BRTC is going to start 20 more double-decker AC buses in Chattogram to ease their suffering. The buses are scheduled to be operational in November this year, said the officials.
According to BRTC sources, these buses are being procured under the Indian Loan Assistance Agreement (LoC). Tk 383 crores will be spent on 100 buses. In addition, Tk 54 crore will be spent on spare parts for buses and Tk 67 crore will be spent on setting up seven electric charging stations.
At present, about 60 percent of the total passenger vehicles imported into the country are electric. Due to the advanced technology, these cars cost 30 percent more than normal cars. At present, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) levies 72 percent duty and 20 percent supplementary duty on imports of electric vehicles.
According to sources from Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BARVIDA), importation of electric vehicles has not picked up due to cumbersome registration process, lack of charging stations and higher prices compared to fossil fuel vehicles. However, being environmentally friendly and fuel efficient, this vehicle will dominate the passenger car market.
In September 2022, the registration of electric vehicles in the country will begin. Since then Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has registered around 20 electric vehicles of various international brands.
BRTA officials said the 'Electric Vehicle Charging Guidelines' have been prepared to provide a framework for setting up a wide network of charging stations across the country. Local production will increase as Bangladesh Auto Industries Limited sets up its own electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing unit at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Shilpa Nagar in Mirsharai.
According to BRTC sources, BRTC is running 27 inter-district buses on eight routes a day from Chittagong. Among them six on Chattogram-Dhaka route, three on Chattogram-Cumilla route, one on Chattogram-Noakhali route, one on Chattogram-Chandpur route, four on Chattogram-Sylhet-Sunamganj route, six on Chattogram-Rangamati route, five on Chattogram-Khagrachari-Tabalchhari route and Chattogram. A diesel bus plying on Barisal route. Also some buses ply in Chattogram city and various upazilas.
BRTC launched two bus services on Anwara and Karnaphuli upazila routes on March 11. 10 BRTC gas-powered buses are also plying on the nearby Upazila Patiya route. There are 10 school buses running in the city. Apart from this, 280 trucks of BRTC are operating in Chattogram for transportation of various goods including paper of Karnaphuli Paper Mill (KPM), fertilizer of Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC).
There are 69 operable buses at the bus depot of BRTC in Natunpara area of Chattogram-Hathazari road. Several buses are being repaired at the workshop. In 2020-21 fiscal year, BRTC has earned Tk 13 crore 29 lakh from bus operation in Chattogram. Tk 12 crores 47 lakhs have been spent. The profit has been around 82 lakh rupees. In 2022, an average of Tk 34 lakh was spent on salaries, Tk 95 lakh on fuel and Tk 12 lakh on tires and maintenance.
Recently, at a function in the capital Dhaka, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Kader said that 100 electric double-decker air-conditioned buses will be added to the fleet of BRTC in Dhaka and Chattogram cities in November this year. Out of this, 80 buses will run in Dhaka city and 20 in Chattogram. The process of importing these electric buses to the headquarters of other departments and districts is going on gradually. By 2030, a minimum of 30 percent of the vehicles used in Bangladesh's road transport sector will be converted to the electric motor vehicle category. The aim will be to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
