Bus operators claim a pilot of the bus route rationalization initiative is failing to attract passengers, although a report of the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) claims it has been successful.
The trial run of Dhaka Nagar Paribahan started between Ghatarchar and Kanchpur via Motijheel and Signboard on December 26. The Bus Route Rationalization Committee (BRRC) has called a meeting on Monday to analyze the performance of the service.
Trans Silva, a private operator, has already dubbed the initiative a losing project. The state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) has admitted that the new service has not attracted enough passengers, but it expects demand to pick up in future.
Thirty of the 50 buses on the route belong to the BRTC, and 20 to Trans Silva.
Benefit, limitations of the pilot project
A vigilance team of DTCA has already submitted four weekly reports and a summary to the BRRC on the status of the trial of Nagar Paribahan.
According to the report, passengers are now able to ride buses and get tickets in a disciplined manner, but a few passengers ask that they be dropped off at places other than designated bus stops.
Drivers do not attempt to overtake other buses of the fleet, as income is being shared between Trans Silva and BRTC regardless of the number of passengers on each bus, as per guidelines. As a result, there are fewer accidents than on traditional bus routes.
There are some illegally operating buses still on the route, causing interruptions to the service. The problem can be overcome through integrated enforcement, said the report.
“Some limitations have been noted but we marked the pilot project as an effective initiative,” said Dhrubo Alam, deputy transport planner of DTCA.
“The frequency of passengers will increase gradually, once operators invest more,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
Interruptions by Unauthorized buses
Trans Silva submitted a report to the BRRC last week where it claimed it lost Tk27 lakh in the first 21 days of the service.
“There are two major causes for the losses. First, many buses ply illegally on the same route, so we get fewer passengers. Secondly, passengers are used to raising their hands to get a bus anywhere, instead of waiting at the counter,” said Dewan Khokan, chairman of Trans Silva.
“We will not continue the service if the government does not give us some kind of incentive,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
However, Dhrubo Alam said the number of passengers was low as bus owners had not yet learned how to operate a modern bus service.
“We should build up capacity and efficiency of the operators to make it profitable,” he said
“One month is not quite enough to calculate benefits. Once color-coded buses provide the service around the entire city, it will become profitable,” said Tajul Islam, chairman of BRTC.
Drivers unhappy
According to the agreement, drivers will be paid Tk15,000 each month and Tk300 as daily allowance. Assistants will be paid Tk9,000 and Tk200 daily allowance.
However, drivers claim they are yet to receive their full salaries.
“We are very unhappy as the bus owners didn’t pay us our full salary at the end of the month,” said a driver, seeking anonymity.
“I received Tk8,000 in two installments and didn’t get any daily allowance. So how are we supposed to survive? We earn around Tk25,000 a day by driving a general bus,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
“Yes, we failed to pay the staff as we are operating at a loss,” said Dewan Khokan, chairman of Trans Silva.
“Apart from the driver and assistant, there are around 100 counter men on a roster basis. It is very expensive for us to pay all the staff,” he added.
A driver said: “The number of passengers was lower, but we didn’t face any extortion on the road while driving a bus. Usually, buses count Tk800-1,000 as extortion cost.”
He claimed some transport owners did not wish the initiative to be successful, as they profited from such extortion.
Commuters happy
Commuters travelling on buses of Dhaka Nagar Paribahan have so far been happy with the disciplined service and reasonable fares. They have neither faced any hassles in buying tickets, nor have they had any arguments with counter staff.
Passengers get on and off at designated stations. Inside, there are enough seats for passengers, and they are comparatively clean. Drivers are civil and helpers are helpful.
In spite of the delivery of the services it has promised, the pilot service is being shunned by many regular commuters. The common complaint is that the buses are too slow to reach the stops, resulting in a long and frustrating wait by passengers.
Rafiqul Islam, a passenger, said that many were still using other buses as this new company had fewer vehicles than meets demand.
“It takes too much time as the buses are insufficient in number. The wait becomes unbearable during office time. But I still like it due to its nice service,” he added.
“We are optimistic about the new bus system, but it is very challenging and will not be possible if bus owners and workers do not help us,” said Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation and convenor of BRRC.
“We have been supporting the authorities despite their blaming us,” said Khandoker Enayetullah, general secretary of the Dhaka Bus Owners Association.
