The Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) is going to take necessary steps to bring discipline to the existing public transportation services in the capital.
This was disclosed at a view-exchange meeting held at the conference room of DTCA on Sunday with its Executive Director Neelima Akhter in the chair.
DTCA is a government agency that provides public transport facilities in the capital and also coordinates most of the transport systems in Dhaka division. It was established on September 22, 2012.
At the meeting, the officials concerned said that the city’s population is increasing day by day but the quality of transport services is not improving. Rather, service has deteriorated day by day, and there is no discipline in the public transport sector.
At the same time, the authority feels that since there is no list of fixed AC bus fare, city’s non-AC bus fare list needs to be rescheduled. They said that initiatives should be taken to prepare it quickly. Also, the e-ticketing system,
ntroduction of rapid passes, and installation of on-board cameras, dashcams, and GPS trackers on buses will also need to be installed.
However, while talking to transport owners, they portrayed a different picture. They claim that extortion in public transport has started again after the fall of the AL government. A change of power has only changed hands without expected progress. If this situation continues, they think that public transportation services will not improve.
Sources at DTCA said that to bring order to the public transport sector, stakeholders put emphasis on stopping buses only at bus stops and keeping the bus gates or doors closed during the journey.
Already, more than 110 passenger sheds have been constructed since 2021 to date by DNCC and DSCC in the capital. DTCA officials say it is necessary to build more sheds. For this purpose, appropriate sites for the construction of a new sheds will be selected after verifying the requirements, and steps will be taken to complete the construction within the shortest possible time.
According to meeting sources, initiatives will be taken to train drivers and assistants in coordination with government and private institutions. Active and non-active bus routes are being updated on the ground before the end of 2024.
Based on this and in combination with the recommendations made by DTCA, plans are underway for cancelling inactive routes, and new routes will be updated with partial changes as necessary.
In this regard, Borak Transport Director Hasan Ahmed told the Bangladesh Post, “We have 29 AC buses, about 2 to 3 years old, running outside Dhaka. Now if I am allowed, I can deliver 30 buses in a week in the capital.”
In response to the question about which route he would take, Hasan Ahmed said, “I have sought permission to go from Hemayetpur (Savar) to Narayanganj. Thirty AC buses and 40 non-AC buses will be required. Due to the length of the route, many passengers will also be available.”
Dhrubo Alam, project director of Bus Route Rationalisation, told the Bangladesh Post that the bus fare list should be revised or rescheduled. And 120 point-of-sale (POS) machines are being procured to bring about fare collection. Of these, 30 POS machines have already been procured. It will be possible to run on two routes with these POS machines.
According to the 2022 master plan of the DTCA, all private bus operators will come under six companies and operate buses on 22 main routes in the capital to help reduce traffic congestion.
Regarding fare determination of AC buses, Dhrubo Alam said, “The fares of AC buses could be Tk 3.10 to 3.20 per kilometre and will be declared soon.”
Meanwhile, DTCA is also taking steps to enhance Dhaka city transport systems. The organisation is getting responses to increase the participation of private transport owners. Trust Transport, Borak Paribahan, and HR Transport are interested in operating buses under the Dhaka City Transport Service by DTCA.
DTCA Executive Director Neelima Akhter said at the meeting that the piloting programme under the bus route rationalisation programme was not successful in the past. She also said that bringing order in public transport is essential demand of the time. Emphasis should be placed on ensuring the use of modern technology in new buses.
Representatives of BRTA, BRTC, DSCC, DNCC, and other related departments and organisations, all officials related to DTCA, and representatives of bus companies, including Trust Transport, Borak Paribahan, and HR Transport, also attended the meeting.
Speakers at the meeting, however, mentioned a news report published on August 24 by the Bangladesh Post about buses without route permits and route violations. They also urged the authority to take strict action against the buses without route permits and route violations.
