Bus owners and workers have taken to the streets at 20 points across Dhaka in a bid to bring order to the capital’s chaotic traffic, enforcing designated bus stops and preventing passengers from getting on and off buses at random spots.
The drive, launched on Sunday by the Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association, also aims to improve road discipline and prevent the operation of unfit, dilapidated and permitless buses.
Teams comprising bus owners and workers have been deployed in areas including Mirpur, ECB Chattar, Karwan Bazar, Farmgate, Shahbagh, Paltan, Motijheel, Gulistan and Jatrabari. Association leaders have also been visiting different locations to monitor the activities.
At Shahbagh intersection, several people wearing orange vests bearing the association's name were seen directing bus drivers with sticks.
A bus owner involved in the drive said they had repeatedly instructed drivers and helpers not to stop buses outside designated points to pick up or drop off passengers, but the instructions had not been followed.
“Drivers and helpers do not listen to us. We have repeatedly told them not to stop buses wherever they please to pick up passengers. That is why we, the owners, have taken to the streets to bring the situation under control,” he said.
According to the association, a separate drive was conducted in Gulistan on Sunday morning against buses with broken windows, damaged paintwork and expired fitness certificates.
Jahangir Sikder, convener of the Gulistan Bus Terminal Transport Owners Association and vice-president of the Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association, and Alamgir Kabir, member-secretary of the Gulistan Bus Terminal Owners Association, led the drive.
Meanwhile, SM Sohrab Hossain, convener of the Mirpur Regional Owners Association, inspected activities at Kalsi intersection as part of efforts to ease congestion and improve road discipline.
ASM Ahmed Khokon, general secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association and treasurer of the Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association, told Dhaka Tribune that the initiative was launched in response to long-standing complaints about buses stopping outside designated points.
“We have repeatedly instructed our drivers not to stop anywhere other than designated stops. We are also raising awareness among passengers, asking them to wait at designated stops and not get on or off buses wherever they please,” he said.
Khokon said the association would continue the drive until discipline was restored on the roads.
“We have started this initiative at around 20 points across Dhaka. We will continue until we can bring discipline to the roads. I have been at Shahbagh intersection since 8am, and bus owners and workers are all involved in this effort,” he added.
Seven decisions to reform bus services
The initiative follows a meeting held last Thursday, chaired by the prime minister, to discuss the implementation of the bus route rationalisation plan.
The Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and bus owners' associations were assigned responsibility for implementing the plan.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Robiul Alam said he had met bus company owners and association leaders on September 28 to discuss company-based bus operations and compliance with vehicle fitness requirements and traffic laws.
According to bus owners, the meeting produced seven decisions.
Buses in Dhaka will operate through companies, with the government dealing directly with them rather than individual owners to ensure accountability.
Companies will be held responsible for unfit buses, traffic violations and other irregularities. Owners who break the rules may be expelled from their companies, and their buses will face legal action.
The owners' association will work to stop excessive bookings at bus counters, trip-based extortion and other unethical financial collection.
Companies that fail to improve services and drivers' conduct within the stipulated period may lose their route permits, with the government introducing new companies or alternative arrangements.
Bus owners must repair and repaint all buses operating in Dhaka within two months. The association will oversee the work, and buses not repaired by the deadline will be taken off the road.
The association will also form area-based teams with the DMP to prevent the operation of illegal, dilapidated and permitless buses and those violating route regulations.
Other measures include ensuring buses operate through designated counters and stop at designated points for passenger pick-ups and drop-offs.
Bus owners' and workers' organisations have also been asked to discuss company-based operations with relevant stakeholders within 15 days.
Despite several initiatives to address traffic congestion in Dhaka, the problem continues to cause significant economic losses. An earlier World Bank estimate put the number of working hours lost to traffic congestion in the capital at around 3.2 million a day.
Urban planners now estimate that the figure has exceeded 5 million hours a day, with annual economic losses surpassing Tk37,000 crore.
The association said its latest initiative would continue until discipline was restored to the city's roads.