With a view to keeping up with the times, the government has introduced special buses equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity in the capital to let passengers enjoy free wireless Internet facilities as they travel to their destinations.
The buses, called ‘digital bus’, were unveiled following a public meeting in the capital’s Farmgate yesterday. Communications Minister Obaidul Quader and State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak inaugurated the service.
Passengers taking a digital bus will have the opportunity to browse the Internet free of charge with Wi-Fi-enabled devices like smartphones, laptops or tablet computers. Simultaneously, they can utilise the vehicle tracking system to track such buses from a distant location if they want to catch a specific one, sources said.
Under the Access to Information (a2i) programme of the Prime Minister’s Office, the Wi-Fi connectivity will be installed in 20 buses of the state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) running from Motijheel to Uttara. Of the 20, 10 were put into operation yesterday.
At least 8,000 passengers can avail themselves of the free Internet connectivity every day while travelling on the Motijheel-Uttara route.
The communications minister said more digital buses would be introduced in the capital soon.
“We are trying to introduce different services for the loads of people who travel by bus every day and the digital bus is one of those. Very soon, we’ll cover other routes with such modern services,” he said.
Palak said buses could also help make the country digital and could reduce travel woes of passengers.
Sources said that at least four wireless 3G routers of state-owned mobile phone operator Teletalk were installed in each of the buses, enabling around 40 passengers to use the service simultaneously.
“Even if the buses travel at 55 to 60 kilometres per hour, there will be no disruption in the service,” Naimuzzaman Mukta, people’s perspective specialist of the a2i programme, told the Dhaka Tribune.
