225 buses to ply on three new Dhaka routes

The bus route rationalisation committee has decided to operate 225 more buses on three new routes.

The decision was disclosed on Tuesday afternoon after a meeting of the bus route rationalisation committee.

The 22nd meeting of bus route rationalisation committee is held at Buriganga Hall of Nagar Bhaban, the central office of Dhaka South City Corporation on Tuesday.

However, the decision has not been finalised as to when these buses will operate. The committee has said all preparation will have to be finished by 90 days.

After the meeting, committee head and DSCC mayor Fazle Noor Taposh told newsmen that of the three routes, 50 buses will be operated on route no. 22, 100 buses on route no. 23 and 75 buses on route no. 26.

On route no. 22, buses will operate from Ghatarchar to Sultana Kamal Bridge via Basila-Mohammadpur Town Hall-Farmgate-Karwan Bazar and Shahbagh.

On route no. 23, buses will operate from Ghatarchar to Kanchpur via Basila, Mohammadpur Shia Mosque, Shyamoli, Asadgate, Science Laboratory, Press Club and Kamalapur.

On route no. 26, buses will ply from Ghatarchar to Kadamtali via Palashi intersection and Postagola.

The owners of Dhaka public transport are over 2000. Buses operate over 200 routes in Dhaka and its adjacent areas. One bus races with another while picking passengers resulting in road crashes.

To resolve this situation, advice was given to rationalise the bus route or to introduce bus route franchaise in accordance with the Dhaka 20-year transport plan prepared in 2004.

The main goal of this special arrangement is to remove old and worn out buses. New buses will operate on easy term loans. Buses will be operated by five to six companies. Owners will get profit as per investment.

Earlier, Dhaka Nagar Paribahan was launched from Ghatarchar to Kanchpur with 50 buses on 26 December.

At the time two mayors of Dhaka city corporations said 50 more buses will be introduced in this route after two months.

But the remaining 50 buses have not been introduced till now.

Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh told newsmen that 20 more buses will be introduced within the next 30 years. Moreover, a proposal has been made to a private company to introduce 50 more buses.