Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh has said that 200 new buses will be introduced on the three routes fixed by the Bus Route Rationalization Committee (BRRC) from September.
He was speaking to reporters after inaugurating a bridge for pedestrians at Azimpur in the capital on Wednesday.
He said: "The buses were supposed to be launched by September 1, but it is taking time to build the buses. The owners who have been allowed to launch the buses have sought 15 days time for two routes, the bus owners for the other route have been given 30 days time.”
Mayor Taposh also said: "It is logical for our technical team to review the buses properly because those buses are being newly built in 2022.”
After the 23rd meeting of the BRRC on June 21, Mayor Taposh said that out of the new three routes, 50 buses will be launched on route 22, 100 on route 23, and 50 on route 26.
All the buses on these three routes will be new. The development of passenger sheds, bus bay and related infrastructure on the three routes will be completed by July 30, he added.
According to the BRRC, route 22 entails Ghatarchar to Basila, Mohammadpur Town Hall, Asad Gate, Farmgate, Karwan Bazar, Shahbagh, Kakrail, Fakirapul, Motijheel, Tikatuli, Sayedabad, Jatrabari, Konapara to Demra Staff Quarter.
Route 23 is from Ghatarchar to Basila, Mohammadpur Shia Mosque, Shyamoli, College Gate, Asad Gate, Kalabagan, Science Lab, Shahbagh, Matsya Bhaban, Press Club, Gulistan, Daily Bangla, Kamalapur, Dhalpur, Jatrabari, Shonir Akhra, Rayerbag, Matuail, Signboard, Chittagong Road.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) issued an open notice on April 21 for the supply of buses.
In the wake of the notification, a total of 200 bus applications were received including from Ovi Motors Ltd and Hanif Enterprise.
BRRC decided that Ovi Motors Ltd would provide 50 buses to route 22, 100 buses from Hanif Enterprise would be on route 23 and BRTC will provide 50 buses on route 26.
Dhruba Alam, assistant transport planner of The Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, said the buses will have 42 seats.
On September 9, 2018, the government formed a 10-member BRRC to restore discipline in public transport.
The mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) was made the convener of the committee.
Initially, nine clusters, 22 companies and 42 routes have been proposed to implement bus route rationalization.
A total of 54 routes currently running in the Green Cluster have been converted into eight routes, which are routes 21 to 28.
Of them, route 21 is currently treated as a pilot route.
