Drive against old city buses from July 20

Like the metro-rail, the government is going to introduce e-ticket service on some bus routes from July 20 for handling the present chaotic traffic situation, piloting it in the BRTC and three circular bus services as well as expressway in the city.

A meeting on bus route rationalisation (BRR), held at Rail Bhaban in the capital on Thursday, also decided to start a drive on the same day to withdraw old ramshackle buses from the streets.

Meeting sources said a plan has been taken to introduce e-ticket in Hatirjheel Circular Bus, Gulshan Chaka and Dhakar Chaka, and on some BRTC routes.

Rail and Road Transport and Bridges Advisor Fouzul Kabir Khan chaired the meeting.

Special assistants to the chief advisor (CA), Khoda Baksh Chowdhury, Dr Sheikh Moinuddin, and Faiz Ahmed Taiyeb, were present.

Among others, Executive Director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) Neelima Akhter, Chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Abu Momtaz Ahmed, Chairman of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Abdul Latif Mollah, and Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Mohammad Sarwar attended. Transport leader Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas was present.

The meeting was called on BRR agenda, as DMP proposed a new bus route from Gazipur towards three directions. It is learnt that DMP is lobbying to introduce the new route with the same pink buses that have already 'proven wrong' with the BRR concept.

Talking over the issue after the meeting, the advisor said before BRR, it is needed to introduce the one-ticket system, and like the metro-rail rapid pass would be used for it.

After the initial experience, apps would also be introduced in the next two months to make the fare collection system smooth and hassle-free, he told the FE.

However, the CA's special assistant on road transport said e-ticketing is a technical system and needs integration. So, they would try to introduce it in a limited scale on July 20.

smunima@yahoo.com