DTCA moves ahead with bus sector reforms in city

FE Team | Published: January 01, 2026 23:16:20

The Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) organised a workshop on Tuesday to outline a roadmap for transforming the city's bus sector, reports BSS.
The event -- titled "Preparedness for Bus Sector Reform of Dhaka City" was held at the DTCA head office in Tejgaon. Dr. Md. Ziaul Haque, secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, attended the programme as the chief guest.
Addressing the workshop, the secretary emphasised that the government is committed to a holistic reform rather than isolated solutions.
He announced the drafting of the 'Bus Transport Service Operation and Special Rights (Route Franchise) Act' to eliminate unhealthy competition among operators and transition towards company-based operations.
He further mandated that no route permits be issued outside of DTCA's strategic network planning.
Presided over by DTCA Executive Director Neelima Akhter, the workshop highlighted critical challenges, including the fact that nearly a thousand buses in the city lack fitness certificates and many operate without valid route permits.
To address this, DTCA has finalised a proposal to organise bus operations into 42 routes under nine clusters, managed by 22 companies.
In this context, DTCA, DMP, and bus owners' and workers' associations have already reached a preliminary agreement on 32 routes and have published the list on the website.
Dr. Asif-Uz-Zaman Khan, professor and head, Urban and Regional Planning, BUET, presented the keynote paper, detailing the necessity of integrating the bus system with mass transit modes like MRT.
Key reform strategies discussed included the implementation of dedicated bus priority lanes, the introduction of 400 electric buses under the World Bank-funded 'Dhaka Bus Modernization Programmme', and the full-scale implementation of the 'Rapid Pass' for integrated digital payments.
The workshop concluded with a call for active participation from all stakeholders to ensure a reliable, sustainable, and inclusive public transport system for the residents of Dhaka.
Senior officials from government departments or agencies, professors and experts from relevant university departments, concerned officials from DTCA, representatives from development partner organisations and financial institutions, as well as representatives from bus operators, importers, and manufacturing companies, participated in the workshop.