Thorough assessment needed to make the deployment of AC buses in Dhaka fruitful

The transportation problem in the capital is one of the oldest and unresolved problems.

All previous governments have tried to take various sustainable and technology-based initiatives to improve the quality of passenger service.

In continuation of this, the Dhaka Metro Passenger and Goods Transport Committee recently gave permission to eight companies to ply 690 AC buses on various routes in Dhaka.

This is a positive step in terms of modern, safe and comfortable public transport. But whether the step alone is enough is a big question.

In the past, many sustainable initiatives have failed due to lack of forethought.

It has always been a fundamental question whether any modern initiative will succeed without addressing the country’s road and transportation system’s challenges.

The problems that exist in the capital’s public transport system due to mismanagement and lack of coordination are not unmarked.

To make new the initiatives fruitful and sustainable, well-thought-out planning, scientific observation and passenger demand assessment and a specific implementation roadmap are needed.

A fundamental question in approving the operation of AC buses in the capital is fare.

Most passengers in the city travel short distances.

They desire to travel these short distances smoothly, safely and comfortably.

For this, many passengers are ready to spend a little more.

But in the case of AC buses, if there is no specific fare structure, there is a fear of charging extra fare.

If the fare is not fixed, each company will charge its own fare.

This will increase confusion and dissatisfaction among passengers.

If the bus service starts without finalizing the fare, disputes between passengers and operators are inevitable.

Reportedly, e-ticketing has been made mandatory in new AC buses.

This is a good initiative because digital management brings transparency and also reduces the scope for corruption in cash transactions.

A successful example of this is the Metrorail.

But in the case of bus transport, there are examples of failure in implementing e-ticketing. Just installing the machines in the buses will not do.

It needs to be integrated with a central software platform, brought under uninterrupted internet service, smooth passenger service through trained manpower.

The authorities and the manpower concerned for supervision and implementation of this initiative must be provided with adequate skills and training.

The chaos in the capital’s public transport may not be eliminated in a short time. But if every initiative is taken without a plan, new complications arise.

The big challenge now is to ensure that the initiative to introduce AC buses does not fall into the old cycle of road chaos.