The government is going to introduce a bus service through Hatirjheel area with a view to easing sufferings of townspeople as well as reduce traffic congestion in the capital.
Project Director of Hatirjheel Major Kazi Shakil Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune that the proposed bus service through Hatirjheel would start within the next two months. Under the service, buses will run from FDC intersection to Rampura.
“We have already purchased six buses for the service. Of the buses, two are air-conditioned,” he said.
He also expressed hope that the bus service would start before Eid-ul-Ajha. The projector director also said a committee was working to fix the fare of the route.
The official said when the services would start the city dwellers would be able to easily visit Hatirjheel area, a place of tourists’ attraction.
Commuters who travel from eastern part to western part of the city every day are suffering immensely as they have to brave traffic congestion and travel more areas since the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) had not given permission to run public transport through Hatirjheel project area.
Consequently, commuters who travel on public transport on the route especially from Rampura, Bonosri, Merul, Badda and Baridhara areas are the worst sufferers. Hence, commuters have been demanding public transport service through the project area for long.
Taking the advantage, some transport owners in collaboration with DMP officials are running human hauliers in the area and charging higher fare from passengers.
Currently, a number of illegal microbuses are carrying passengers from Karwanbazar to Rampura route through Hatirjheel area.
Joint Commissioner of the DMP (traffic) Mosleh Uddin, however, denied their involvement with the plying of microbuses on the route.
During a visit to Karwan Bazar area, this correspondent found that fare of microbus has been fixed at Tk20.
Some passengers said when they asked transport workers about higher transport charge, they said authorities had fixed the fare.
But transport workers were reluctant to reveal who was the authorities that fixed the fare.
About the microbus transportation, Kazi Shakil said: “The services are totally illegal. When we will start the bus service on the route, we will strictly impose a ban on the plying of such illegal vehicles in the area.”
