Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association, once an enthusiastic proponent of operating under government-designated bus companies, has now retracted its support, raising significant concerns about the viability of the Bus Route Rationalisation project led by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) and the two city corporations.
Launched in March 2020 during the tenure of the previous Awami League government, the project aimed to restructure Dhaka’s chaotic road transport system by consolidating 388 existing routes into 42 streamlined corridors.
The initiative, with an allocated budget of Tk24.49 crore, initially garnered public optimism, promising to eliminate reckless competition among buses, introduce designated boarding counters, and enhance overall commuter experience.
The plan envisaged dividing the city's bus routes into nine distinct clusters, each identified by a unique colour. Proposals included the formation of 22 companies to operate within these clusters - four in pink, four in blue, five in red, six in orange, eight in green, six in purple, and smaller groups for the north, northwest, and south clusters.
However, by 2019, the project had already begun to falter, with model routes running at a loss due to the continued operation of buses from multiple companies. Even the state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) has since ceased operations under the scheme.
Despite directives from the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, including an order issued in December last year by transport adviser Mohammad Fouzul Kabir Khan to operationalise nine routes within the green cluster by February 2025, bus owners remain defiant.
A meeting on 12 November at Dhaka South City Corporation directed DTCA to invite fresh applications from interested operators for specific routes, yet resistance has only hardened.
Although over 250 companies applied to operate more than 3,000 buses across the proposed 42 routes, the landscape shifted dramatically after 15 January.
It was revealed that many of the applicant vehicles lacked valid fitness certificates and route permits.
Tensions escalated when the Road Transport and Highways Division proposed phasing out buses older than 20 years, prompting backlash from operators concerned about a public transport shortage.
They argued that their operations were already sanctioned under the Dhaka Metro Passenger and Goods Transport Committee (RTC).
Following a meeting on 21 January, the Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association resolved not to operate under any designated company structure, openly rejecting DTCA’s authority.
Despite repeated invitations from DTCA to resolve the impasse, bus owners have largely boycotted discussions, with some privately admitting that the association discouraged their participation.
Professor Md Hadiuzzaman from the Department of Civil Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) commented, “Reforming Dhaka’s public transport requires more than a project; it necessitates a dedicated government transport authority. DTCA lacks the manpower to implement such an initiative effectively. Ultimately, it’s a political challenge demanding a new business model that ensures profitability for bus owners.”
DTCA Executive Director Nilima Akhter stated, “If bus owners refuse to operate under DTCA, they are welcome to manage independently, but a system of discipline must prevail.” She acknowledged that operators have demanded subsidies to participate in the project.
“While the project outlines bank loan facilities, subsidy mechanisms would require separate governmental planning,” she added.
DTCA is now appealing to private operators to deploy financially viable buses to prevent the project’s collapse. Nilima Akhter remains hopeful that large donor agencies might intervene to support the initiative alongside domestic transport operators.
