In an effort to alleviate the severe traffic congestion in the capital, authorities have introduced a new bus service with ticket counters, facilitating travel from Gazipur to various destinations in Dhaka via Abdullahpur.
A total of 610 buses, operated by 21 different companies, will run under this system. Passengers can also purchase tickets for these pink-colored buses online.
The service was officially inaugurated on Thursday at Uttara’s Azampur by Sheikh Md Sazzat Ali, Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Describing the initiative as the first step towards improving Dhaka’s “fragile” traffic system, he mentioned that similar services would gradually be expanded to other routes.
“Foreigners arriving at Dhaka airport immediately notice our chaotic traffic system. The buses jostle and drive into each other like cattle. People troll us about this,” Sazzat stated.
“A woman can’t get on a bus with her child on our roads. They aren’t allowed to board. The drivers drop off passengers in [the middle of the] roads. Things can’t go on like this.”
He emphasized that only by changing habits could order be restored to Dhaka’s transportation system.
The commissioner also urged bus owners to provide appointment letters to drivers and their assistants, clearly stating that those who fail to comply with regulations will be dismissed.
“Mention in the appointment letters that they will be fired if they don’t follow the rules. You [owners] must pay drivers and assistants their salaries and receive daily profits from your vehicles,” he added.
“The loss that you incur will be yours. In business, you don’t want to suffer losses. But you have to accept both profit and losses when engaging in business.”
Saiful Alam, General Secretary of the Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association, announced that around 100 ticket counters would be set up along different routes, most of which have already been installed.
“We’re hoping to paint all the buses in 10-15 days. The counter system will bring discipline to the streets,” he stated.
