The news that the number of buses in the Nagar Paribahan fleet has been slashed on the pretext of scarcity of passengers is indeed a cause for serious concern. After so much hard work and persuasion, the bus route rationalisation scheme was put in place on an experimental basis. At the time of pressing into service 50 buses on the route from Ghatar Char in Keraniganj to Kanchpur of Narayanganj, there was hope that 50 more buses would join the fleet in order to give an impetus to the initiative that, if monitored for suggestion to overcome shortcomings, may ultimately be replicated on other city routes. The idea was to bring order and improvement in the widespread chaos in the city's transport operation and service. Instead of maintaining the better management and standard of service, allegedly Nagar Paribahan has started nose-diving at a consistent pace giving rise to the apprehension that this exceptionally good initiative, like many of its predecessors, taken by the authorities might disintegrate prematurely.
Initially, passengers expressed their satisfaction at the much improved service of Nagar Paribahan. Unlike inconsistent fares charged by buses of other companies, its fare was quite rational, left timely and did not pick up or drop passengers from or at any spot other than the designated bus stop. There was of course no shed overhead at all the bus stops but still passengers could purchase tickets from a designated person posted by the franchise for the purpose. The mayor of the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) outlined his plan of gradually constructing decent infrastructure including bus bays at all the bus stops along the route. But within just two months of the service's inauguration, there are now complaints that higher fares than the fixed rates are realised, buses arrive at long intervals and even compel people to huddle into them. The comfort zone has all but vanished.
The need for keeping continuous vigil on the performance of Nagar Paribahan and external pressures on it to derail it from the stated goal was voiced by public transport experts right from the beginning. There are big and influential players in the transport sector who had pulled the string from behind the scene to frustrate many of the fine initiatives taken by the government in the past. The reason why the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) could not as yet become a viable and profitable enterprise despite massive investment and import of some of the world's finest buses lies in such acts of sabotage.
That Nagar Paribahan, if successfully operated, will pose a threat to those who can reap unearned benefit of enormous amount from the transport sector's chaotic situation is a fact. These powerful vested quarters cannot be overjoyed if the franchise system grows stronger to elbow them out of the sector. So this is a crucial time for the BRTC and the mayors of city corporations to act in a concerted way and do everything in their power for making the franchise system successful. The trial run has shown its potential, so it is incumbent on all the authorities concerned to eliminate the slightest threat to Nagar Paribahan's viability.