Private bus cos may join metro shuttle service

Private bus companies may be allowed to join the fleet of dedicated shuttle services along with the BRTC for metro rail passengers in case demand increases.

The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) with its fleet of double decker buses will provide the service once the Uttara-to-Agargaon segment opens for passengers at the end of the year, according to the current plan.

It will sign a MoU with the Dhaka Mass Transit Development Company (DMTCL), the implementation authority of the metro rail, soon in this regard. The MoU is now under a review process.

But after the December’s inauguration of metro rail, if both the authorities feel that the number of passengers using the shuttle service is beyond the capacity of the state-run BRTC or all planned routes are not covered, private organizations may chip in, say officials.

“We will not talk to any private operator before finalizing the MoU. This will be discussed later if BRTC fails to cover any area,” DMTCL’s Managing Director MAN Siddique said.

However, a high official of BRTC, preferring not to be named, said that the authorities may need to consider the private operators as the number of BRTC buses is limited.

BRTC will dedicate buses for the metro rail passengers from the current fleet as no plan of purchasing new bus is currently under consideration.

“The goal of the shuttle service is to provide smooth travel for the passengers to and from metro rail stations. I think, private buses have to be included,” said the official.

About the shuttle service plan by the BRTC, its Chairman Md Tazul Islam said: “Our primary goal is to carry passengers to nearby bus stations or destinations. This will be like connecting service.

The routes have not been finalized yet but primarily two to three routes are under consideration. The number of buses to join the fleet will be determined depending on passenger volume consulting with the metro rail authorities, he said.

However, Khandaker Enayetullah, General Secretary of Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association, said that they were not contacted about shuttle services yet. “We will discuss if they want,” he said.

DMTCL Managing Director MAN Siddique recently told the media that they had asked BRTC to operate at least 40 buses at both ends of the metro rail route until Uttara to Motijheel via Agargaon service fully begins in December 2023.

The service is necessary as the starting point of metro rail in Uttara’s Diyabari is outside of the city’s bus network and also Agargaon, the end point is not a vital transport hub.

Passengers will need public transports to reach Diyabari from adjacent areas and also from Agargaon station to other places. 

According to the BRTC plan, they will place the felt on the queues at the metro rail stations for the passengers. The buses will make continuous trips to and from the destination as trains will arrive at short intervals.

“There is no bus bay or parking spot at Agargaon. So we will try our best to operate the service without hampering traffic flow,” said the BRTC Chairman.

DMTCL and BRTC officials said from Agargaon there will be a route to Motijheel via Farmgate. From Uttara North Station shuttle buses may ply to Dhaka Airport via Uttara’s Jasimuddin area.

The 20.15-km MRT-6 is being built from Uttara to Motijheel at a cost of Tk22, 000 crore. The work on the Agargaon-Motijheel segment is expected to be completed by 2023.

The MRT-6 line has recently been extended to Kamalapur. The metro rail is designed to carry 60,000 people per hour from Uttara to Motijheel in less than an hour.

The current overall progress of the Uttara-Agargaon segment, which will be opened for passengers in December, is 93.86 percent.