The city bus service under a single company system is planned to be launched on three more routes, although operation of Dhaka Nagar Paribahan, launched over a month ago on Ghatarchar-Kanchpur route on pilot basis, is facing various problems.
The Bus Route Rationalisation (BRR) committee took the decision in its 21st meeting, presided over by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, at Nagar Bhaban in the capital on Monday.
Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam, who is also co chair of the 12-member committee, joined the meeting virtually. Other committee members, including the heads of BRTA, BRTC and DTCA, attended the meeting.
Officials said the meeting discussed the problems in operating the bus service on the pilot route. It decided to keep up the efforts to launch Dhaka Nagar Paribhahan service on more routes to avoid overlapping bus services.
The Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) will submit a survey report on the proposed routes 22, 23 and 26 under the cluster - in the next BRR committee meeting on March 14 - for taking necessary actions, they added.
Briefing the journalists after the meeting, DSCC Mayor Taposh said with this, the efforts to establish bus route franchise (BRF) would intensify. The three new routes would help ensure smooth service and bring half of the green cluster under it.
Meeting sources said the mayor asked the police administration about allegations of non-cooperation to stop plying of illegal buses on the pilot route.
The additional police commissioner of traffic brought issues like lack of dumping place as well as non-cooperation of lower-level police staff.
Answering to a question, the mayor said loss and profit cannot be assessed soon after an investment, and time has not come to assess it.
Now, income and expenditure from Dhaka Nagar Paribhahan, which is being run with 20 buses of Trans Silva and 30 buses of BRTC is same, he added.
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