The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) plans to start bus services with all south-western districts through Padma Bridge after its opening on June 25.
After groundwork, the BRTC has decided to start the services from the same day the bridge opens to traffic.
"We've connectivity with Khulna and Jashore from Dhaka through ferry now. This connectivity can be extended touching 21 districts with the current BRTC bus fleet through the long-awaited bridge," says BRTC general manager (operations) Mohammad Moktaruzzaman.
Sixteen air-conditioned (AC) buses on Dhaka-Khulna route and two AC buses on Dhaka-Jashore route are now in operation, he adds.
Mr Moktaruzzaman tells the FE that around 65 buses will be required to ply new routes which can be managed from the AC fleet.
A BRTC meeting decides to run buses on 21 more routes touching different districts, including remote ones, from June 26 to drive people through the dream bridge.
The BRTC official says non-AC buses can be operated in the future after assessing the demand.
The completion of the long-awaited longest bridge over the Padma has opened up huge scope to establish road-based passenger and good services with the backward districts of the country.
Private bus operators have already started buying luxury buses sensing potential not only with the 6.15-kilometre bridge, but also for the first-ever expressway linking Dhaka with Bhanga.
They also find prospects of tourism in coastal districts, including Kuakata, after the inauguration of the bridge.
With existing routes, the BRTC plans to operate buses on 23 routes, including Dhaka-Barishal, Kuakata-Dhaka, Dhaka-Shariatpur, Dhaka-Pirojpur, Dhaka-Dournadi, Dhaka-Narail and Dhaka-Madaripur which will touch other districts to and from their respective destinations.
