A new law is being prepared by the government to regulate bus service in Dhaka using the franchise system to bring much-needed discipline in the public transport system.
Buses of all operators in a particular cluster will have to run under a single company following the draft of the franchise act.
The draft act also suggested that the company will distribute the daily revenue among all operators accordingly to avoid the risky competition of buses on the roads that sometimes turns fatal.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) has already submitted the draft of the “Bus Transport Service Operation and Special Rights (Route Franchise) Act 2020” to the Road Transport and Highways Division (RTHD).
RTHD officials said a meeting will be held on Sunday to discuss the draft act. Representatives of different agencies under the division will be present in the meeting to discuss the draft law.
Neelima Akhter, executive director of DTCA, told Dhaka Tribune that a franchise bus operation law is necessary to ensure the smooth function of the new system.
“The draft is ready, now it will be finalized as per the procedure of a law formation, '' she added.
Earlier, the government formulated the metro rail act and bus route transit (BRT) act as these new passenger transportation systems will be inaugurated in Dhaka soon.
“Once the new law on the franchise system is enacted, franchise companies will be under regulation like metro rail and BRT,’ said Neelima, also member secretary of the Bus Route Rationalization Committee (BRRC).
Bus route franchising is another model of bus operation system which is globally famous. A pilot project for the franchise system already kicked off in the city last year under the supervision of BRRC led by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh.
The bus franchise plan was taken up in 2015 to bring discipline to the public transport system. It was the brainchild of the late Annisul Huq, former DNCC mayor.
Annisul Huq was the first convener of the bus route rationalization committee and Sayeed Khokon, former DSCC mayor, took charge of the committee following Annisul’s death. Taposh took charge as DSCC mayor and became the new convener of the committee by default on May 16.
Replying to a query, DSCC Mayor Taposh told Dhaka Tribune: “Piloting of franchise system is 100% successful. Although we still have a long way to go before starting to operate the new bus service under a company, we are moving forward in the right direction.”
According to the BRRC guideline, drivers of the buses must be appointed by the operator and they will never engage in unhealthy competition for more passengers, which is identified as a major reason behind accidents and traffic congestion.
In many cases, bus owners lease out their vehicles to drivers or conductors on a daily contract basis, and drivers get involved in the unhealthy competition for picking up more passengers to maximize profit.
Currently, 50 buses under “Dhaka Nagar Paribahan” are being operated under the franchise system.
BRRC plans to extend the operation on three more routes within the next three months.
Dr Md Salahuddin, a member of the BRRC and a transport expert, said once the new system is implemented across the city following rules and guidelines, existing mismanagement of public transport will be removed.
Currently, some 6,000 buses operate in Dhaka and adjacent cities under several hundred companies and individuals.
