Commuters travelling by the red-and-green buses of Dhaka Nagar Paribahan (DNP) since the pilot launching of the public transport company late last year has so far been happy with its disciplined services and reasonable fare. For the passengers there is neither any hassle in buying the tickets nor any arguments about fare. Passengers get on and off at designated stations. Inside, there are enough seats to sit and they are comparatively clean. Drivers are civil and helpers are helpful. In spite of the delivery of the services it has promised the pilot service is being shunned by many regular commuters. The common complaint is that the buses are too slow to reach the stops resulting in long frustrating wait for the passengers. This drives many passengers to take the otherwise rough-driving higher fare-charging buses simply because they can reach them to their destination faster.

The much-awaited Padma Bridge will be inaugurated in June 2022 as per the target, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday. The minister said that the work on the Padma Bridge is in progress. “Now, the pitch-casting work is going on. Once it’s done, then the entire project work will be over.” Read: Much-hyped ‘Dhaka Nagar Paribahan’ rolled out The minister said while talking to reporters during the inauguration of ‘Dhaka Nagar Paribahan’ virtually from the secretariat. Obaidul Quader said, “The Padma Bridge will be inaugurated within our target as we’ve already completed the approach road.”

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam on Sunday said strict action will be taken against those who will violate traffic rules. “Vehicles should move on the streets following rules. Or else, stern action will be taken against those offenders,” he said while speaking at the inauguration programme of ‘Dhaka Nagar Paribahan’ at Mohammadpur bus depot. The government has fixed the bus fare at Tk 2.15 per kilometer for Dhaka Nagar Paribahan bus service on the 28-km Ghatarchar-Mohammadpur-Gulistan-Motijheel-Sighboard-Kanchpur bridge route, he said. Read: Much-hyped ‘Dhaka Nagar Paribahan’ rolled out With the increase in population, the number of buses and minibuses has increased in the city and over 9,000 buses and minibuses are moving on 291 routes of Dhaka city, Atiq said. “An unhealthy competition is seen among the buses of different companies due to lack of a well-planned transport system which causes both small and major accidents. So, we’ve to restore discipline in the whole transport system,” he added.

The government has finally launched the ‘Dhaka Nagar Paribahan’ under bus route rationalisation programme of the two Dhaka city corporations on trial basis, aiming to streamline the public transport sector and reduce traffic jams in Dhaka. Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader inaugurated the bus services on Ghatarcha-Kanchpur route virtually from the secretariat on Sunday. While inaugurating the bus service, the minister said all kinds of necessary assistance will be provided to develop a disciplined and modern public transport system for the people living in Dhaka. “I was in a hospital for 12 days and today I’ve been discharged from the hospital. Instead of going back home from the hospital, I came here considering its importance,” he said. At the initial stage, 50 buses will be operated on the route which will be elevated to 100 in phases. The entire city will get the service in 2023. READ: Bus services resume in parts of Chattogram city Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Atiqul Islam were present. In fact, Dhaka and its outskirts today account for more private vehicles than any other city in Bangladesh. The reason behind this unbridled rise in the number of private vehicles can be attributed to the lack of a robust public transport system. Also, most of the buses that ply in Dhaka are "unfit".

The much-awaited trial run of a new city bus service in a small corridor of Dhaka will begin on December 1, under an ambitious project that aims to eventually put in place an effective public transport system in and around the capital. In fact, Dhaka and its outskirts today account for more private vehicles than any other city in Bangladesh. The reason behind this unbridled rise in the number of private vehicles can be attributed to the lack of a robust public transport system. Also, most of the buses that ply in Dhaka are "unfit". All that's going to change eventually, if the two city corporation's bus route rationalisation programme under the name of 'Dhaka Nagar Paribahan' tastes success in the trial run on a 21km route -- from Ghatarchar in Keraniganj to Kanchpur. Read: 3 Dhaka-bound buses stopped in Chapainawabganj, passengers robbed Dhaka South City Corporation's (DSCC) Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh announced the date of the trial run at a media briefing on Tuesday, following the 18th meeting of the Bus Route Rationalisation Committee (BRRC) at Nagar Bhaban. “We held our first meeting on October 6 last year after assuming charge. We have been working relentlessly for the last one year in order to bring discipline on the city roads. The implementation of the city bus route rationalisation was very tough," he said. "Today, I am able to give you a date. The buses will run between the pilot route of Ghatarchar to Kanchpur under the new process and it will be able to give standard services to people," the Mayor added.