Public transports in a shambles

The inhabitants of Dhaka city have been bombarded with the official jargon of turning the city into a 'tilottoma' or incomparably beautiful capital since the regime of HM Ershad. Although survey reports find the capital of Bangladesh as one of the world's least liveable cities, its administrators have kept pledging they would make the city 'tilottoma'. But every city dweller knows how beautiful the 'tilottoma' Dhaka is. In fact, no aspect of the city, the capital of Bangladesh, is beautiful by any standard.
Anyone commuting in the capital must acknowledge that the public transport system here is one of the worst in the world. The state of public transport will make anyone disbelieve that there is any government policy for the sector or any sensible person is behind Dhaka's transport system.
Except the government-run metro rail on the Uttara-Agargaon segment opened one and a half years back and then extended the service up to Motijheel about seven months ago to the public, almost the entire transport sector is run by private operators who are least inclined to comply with rules. The transport system is plagued by obsolete, shabby and unfit buses, unskilled and unruly drivers, corrupt regulators, undisciplined commuters and political influence. How the rundown buses plying on roads secure fitness certificates and renewal of licences is baffling.
A government survey in 2017 found that around 6,900 buses and minibuses operate in Dhaka and most of them are unfit for running in the city. Urban experts, however, believe the number of vehicles will be over 8,000.
The violation of traffic rules by transport drivers, motorcyclists and commuters, and inaction of the traffic police against such violations have contributed greatly to the transport sector anarchy. According to a survey of a passenger platform, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, 87 per cent public transports, including buses and minibuses, ply in Dhaka violating traffic rules. Buses pick up or drop off passengers or wait for them anywhere the drivers or their aides please. It is not only the bus staff to blame for stopping their vehicles at undesignated places; passengers also force transport staff often to drop them at their convenient places whatever inconvenience they may cause to other passengers or other vehicles.
Public transport in the capital has reached such a point that it has become impossible for any gentleman to commute on it. Motorbikes, which have mushroomed because of the boom in ride-sharing, and pedestrians' jaywalking have aggravated the transport disarray. Their intrusion on footpaths makes walking of pedestrians impossible.
The metro has brought a new dimension to the transport system but its services are limited to a particular route and the mismanagement that prevails everywhere in Bangladesh has already found its way into its system. During rush hours, metro stations witness long queues of passengers who have to wait for a long time to purchase tickets as the number of ticket counters is limited. If any commuter has to wait for half an hour to purchase a metro ticket, why will they choose the expensive metro over bus service?
Policymakers, regulators and other stakeholders should act prudently to improve the public transport system, taking a holistic approach. The shabby buses should be replaced with new ones in no time, bus staff should be trained well on traffic rules while passengers should be aware of what they should do and what not.

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