Bringing any desirable change in the highest trip-generated city bus service is still a far cry through reform due to politicisation and criminalisation though at least 14 studies, revised studies and initiatives have been carried out since 1990 for a discipline passenger-friendly bus service.
Too much politicisation and criminalisation in the transport sector always get more importance than sector reform which is simultaneously applicable in the recent times, according to experts and sector analysts.
They said the recent changeover of the government has repeated the same scenario as bus owners and workers have been chasing for power games and extortion in the name of holding meetings as they ignored the main focus on single company for a single route through rationalisation of several hundred bus routes in the capital.
Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), the policy and regulatory authority of the city's transport sector, receives scores of complaints from different operators every day after the ouster of Sheikh Hasina's government either for grabbing their buses or demanding nearly a million by new transport leaders to join new committees which number is also not less than 300.
After attending few meetings, the FE reporter has also found that these meetings had any focus on forming a single company named as Bus Route Franchise (BRF) under bus route rationalisation (BRR). The BRF is the prime recommendation in all the studies and initiatives taken so far during the last 30 years.
Of the studies, Dhaka Integrated Transport Study done in 1992-94, Dhaka Urban Transport Project in 1997-1999, Bus Route Franchising Study (Meakin) in 2003, Strategic Transport Plan in 2005, Study on Bus Operation in Dhaka City in 2007, Dhaka Bus Network and Regulatory Reform Implementation Study and Design Work in 2013-2015 and Revision and Updating of study report on bus route rationalization and company based operation of bus services in 2020 have specifically recommended for bus transport sector reform through BRF.
Besides, Dhaka Urban Transport Network Development Study (DHUTS) and study under Greater Dhaka Sustainable Urban Transport had also studied on the city bus and proposed for BRF by rationalisation of the city's several hundred routes.
Recently, the DTCA revived the special committee on BRR and held meeting more than a year after its last meeting wherein so-called self-declared leaders of transport owners and workers did not attend.
"This is high time for working on the BRF by rationalisation of the city bus routes as the new government can only create the business environment for the BRF," said transport expert Professor M Shamsul Hoque.
He also said further study on the BRR is not necessary to introduce route wise company as the city has already got successful operation of such company in Hatirjheel and Gulshan area.
Dr Shamsul Hoque, professor of the Civil Engineering Department of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, suggested making an open call for interested investors with a deadline by formulating a framework.
The DTCA's study done in 2013 and revised in 2020 recommended BRF service dividing the city into nine clusters where six colour buses were proposed to operate under limited companies.
Although the BRR committee which was first formed with Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Annisul Hoq and reconstituted two times with the change of mayors, introduced buses on three routes from one cluster, those could not be survived.
As the committee members, who were mostly politically motivated, introduced the service without withdrawing other buses from the routes. As a result, the main purpose of BRF did not serve.
Corruption in the public transport sector is nothing new as Transparency International, Bangladesh (TIB) in a recent study shared last March found almost Tk 19 billion is transacted centering the city bus operation each year.
Over 90 per cent of bus owners are political leaders who have strong influenced on the government. Names like Shahjahan Khan or Osman Ali were well-known as leaders of transport workers but they all are owners of buses. After the reign of Khandaker Enayetullah ended following the fall of the Awami League-led government, BNP-backed leaders have grabbed all posts of respective associations.
Shares of tolls are equally distributed among traffic police, transport leaders and even high government officials in transport related agencies. From the FE experience, these leaders have always influence on the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) to take all steps for their interests.
After visiting Mohakhali Bus Terminal this week, the FE has also found that buses of Ena Paribahan, owner of Khandaker Enayet Ullah, are kept beside the United Paribahan which is owned by present general secretary of Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association Mohammad Saiful Alam.
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