The newly designed bus service - ‘Dhaka Nagar Paribahan’ has officially started operating on the designated route under the Route Rationalization Project.
City-dwellers have expressed satisfaction regarding the system and applauded the service.
However, they expressed concern regarding the consistency of the positive change and demanded that the system remain disciplined in the long run.
The project started its journey from Ghatarchar to Mohammadpur, Jhigatala, Dhanmondi, Press Club, Jatrabari and Kanchpur on Sunday.
Having visited the Mohammadpur counter on Monday, this correspondent found a small queue in front of the newly set up counter for the service. Passengers bought tickets from the counter and got on the bus from the designated stop.
The environment inside the buses was well maintained and seemed to be disciplined, unlike the scenario that the people of Dhaka are used to seeing in public busses. It did not stop at any counter for long.
Selim Ahmed, got on the bus from Mohammadpur to go to City College.
“When I usually travel on this route, it costs Tk 15. However, today, I am having to pay Tk 10. Moreover, the facilities are also good, no unnecessary stops and I hope it stays like this,” he said while talking to this correspondent.
Another passenger, Zahid Islam, said he is most happy about the fact that the bus does not randomly stop here and there to drop or pick up passengers like before.
“The bus picks passengers and stops at its designated counters only and that is a good indication. As a result, less time is wasted on the roads and destinations can be reached quickly,” he said.
However, while talking to this correspondent, an elderly expressed concern regarding the consistency of the initiative.
He said, “The system is good as long as it is maintained properly. Not just the staff or the service providers but the passengers have to be patient and disciplined as well. Otherwise, it would end up becoming the same as always.”
“If this continues, there would not be completion between the busses to get passengers and that would reduce the chances of mishaps,” said another passenger.
Due to the vehicles being pre-used, the insides of the busses were not significantly clean and a few shattered windows were also visible. However, the staff starting from the counters to the drivers seemed trained and were uniformed with an identity card hanging around their necks.
Earlier, the Mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation, Md Atiqul Islam said, “There is no alternative to the bus route rationalization to bring order on the road. This is a new horizon for us and implementing it was a big challenge for us.”
At the same time, South City Mayor Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh said that it is going to make a good start in fulfilling the dream of late Mayor Anisul Haque.
“From now on the bus service will continue like this. No bus competition between them and no bus without route permit can run,” he said.
