Introduction of shuttle school buses

Every morning, the streets of Dhaka are crammed with a multitude of private cars, motorcycles, CNG-run three-wheelers, battery-run rickshaws, pedal rickshaws, a large number of them crowding the entrances of hundreds of schools. This daily influx exacerbates the already severe traffic congestion in the city. The situation turns worse during midday when morning shift ends and day shift commences, rendering many neighbourhoods in Dhaka virtually impassable. The city witnesses  another wave of congestion as students come out of schools to return home.

With the absence of a reliable public transport system, students and guardians are left with no choice but to rely on para-transits and private vehicles. Despite numerous attempts, a comprehensive solution to this issue has remained elusive, leading to the underutilisation of the school bus service. Only a handful of educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and universities, have managed to implement a dedicated bus service for their students, teachers and staff.

In 2010, the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) first introduced the school service with a fleet of 14 buses along the Azimpur-Pallabi route. Guardians initially showed great interest and then lost it due to delays and security issues. Now, only three to four buses are providing the service. Again, in July last year, Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) launched a 'smart' school bus service in Dhaka on a pilot basis. Under the initiative, the BRTC operated three double-decker buses on three fixed routes designed for picking up and dropping off students. The move, however, has remained suspended.

The primary issue with the school bus service is a lack of comprehensive planning and appropriate safety measures. Given that students reside in various parts of the city, it is crucial to gather relevant information and establish common pickup points. A select number of buses should be designated for students of specific educational institutions, with drop-off points located directly in front of school gates to prevent other vehicles from obstructing the process.  

Unlike students at the primary and junior levels, students at the senior level in schools (class 9 and 10, for instance) are better equipped to travel alone. For them, a dedicated school shuttle bus is a feasible option. So, schools need to encourage the older students to use the buses, and guardians need to be sensitised in this connection. It is, however, challenging for the junior students as most of them cannot travel unattended.  It is necessary to provide sincere and responsible attendants in the school buses so that the guardians don't have to be worry about the safety and security of their children.  

A public-private partnership is necessary to operate the shuttle buses for educational institutions, as the government alone cannot manage the thing efficiently.  Alumni of various schools and colleges need to come forward and mobilise necessary investment. Besides dedicated school buses, some shuttle buses for all students, irrespective of educational institutions, may also be introduced. Separate buses for male and female students are also needed to avoid untoward incidents.  

For the shuttle bus service dedicated to educational institutions to be truly effective, it needs to be seamlessly integrated into the greater public transport system. Imagine the convenience if these shuttle buses could drop off students at metro rail stations, from where they can easily reach their desired destinations. However, it's important to note that this integration is not suitable for primary and junior level students. For them, buses need to reach dedicated stoppages near their residences, from where parents can safely collect them.  The current bus-based public transport system in Dhaka is chaotic and disorganised, making it challenging for shuttle buses of educational institutions to be a part of that service.

So, it is necessary to revamp the public transport system by removing hundreds of dirty and ramshackle buses that are continuously polluting the air and causing noise. It is a nightmare for the commuters to travel by these buses in which the seats are congested and the windows are broken. It is the responsibility of the government to make the public transport efficient and ensure effective integration of shuttle buses for the educational institutions.