However, the real test of this initiative will be whether it leads to meaningful improvements in how buses operate, rather than remaining a cosmetic exercise.
For years, Dhaka’s commuters have endured overcrowding, reckless driving, competition for passengers, unsafe boarding and disembarking, and buses that are poorly maintained.
These problems cannot be solved through superficial changes alone. Even after these planned reforms, if buses continue to stop wherever their drivers please, compete dangerously with other vehicles, and disregard traffic rules, little will have changed for the people who depend on it every day.
This is not to dismiss the value of the initiative. Visible changes can help establish a new standard, and a phased approach may be more practical than attempting to overhaul the entire system overnight.
But such measures must be accompanied by stronger regulation, regular fitness inspections, disciplined route management, and consistent enforcement of traffic laws. Bus owners and operators must also be held accountable for the conduct of their drivers and the safety of their vehicles.
Equally important is improving the experience of passengers. Properly designated stops, safer boarding facilities, reliable services, and reasonable fares are essential to making public transport more dependable.
Workers in the sector must also be brought into the reform process, with clear rules and incentives that discourage reckless competition.
Dhaka cannot afford to keep revisiting the same problems through successive rounds of cosmetic change. The new colours can be a welcome first step, but they must mark the beginning of a sustained effort to reform public transport.
Ultimately, commuters need buses that are safe, reliable, and accountable -- not merely buses that look different.
