BRTC to launch three more bus routes with India

The state-run Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) mulls introducing three more international bus services between Bangladesh and India in an effort to widen its footprint in the neighbouring country.

The corporation is carrying out a feasibility study on Dhaka-Siliguri, Chattogram-Dhaka-Kolkata, and Cox's Bazar-Chattogram-Agartala routes, its Chairman Md Tazul Islam said on Monday.

An inter-ministerial meeting will be convened to finalise and implement the plan, he told The Business Standard. "We hope that the BRTC bus service on these new routes will be good.".

Currently, Shyamoli NR Paribahan operates buses on Dhaka-Kolkata, Dhaka-Agartala, Dhaka-Khulna-Kolkata, Agartala-Dhaka-Kolkata and Dhaka-Shillong-Guwahati routes under the supervision of the BRTC.

Innovative services bringing profits for the company

Apart from expanding international routes, the BRTC has introduced innovative services within the country, receiving positive responses from people while reporting financial profits.

It was the first company to introduce bus services on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway. Starting with only eight buses on 18 September, the service has now increased to 12 to 14 double-decker buses, making around 40 trips daily.

This service has come by significant passenger response, with a daily net profit of nearly Tk70,000.

Emphasising the importance of a public bus service, Tazul said, "As a public company, serving people is our first priority. Keeping this in mind, we first introduced the bus service on the expressway. Now it has become a profitable route."

With the service, the state-run operator also encouraged other private companies to follow suit, he noted.

Besides, the shuttle service from Farmgate to the Dhaka International Trade Fair venue at Purbachal, and the 'smart school bus service' in Chattogram also drew great attention from people, the BRTC boss continued.

He noted that there is a plan to introduce the school bus service in Dhaka city as well in response to the repeated calls from the city corporations.

Other popular BRTC services include open-roof tourist buses in Chattogram's DC Park and Cox's Bazar marine drive road, and shuttle services for the tourists arriving at the Cox's Bazar rail station.

Expansion of fleet

Currently, BRTC operates some 1,253 buses out of a fleet of 1,350 in different routes across the country.

The company has a plan to enhance passenger comfort with the addition of 400 electric AC buses, 340 CNG-run AC buses, and 200 diesel-run AC buses. Orders for procuring the vehicles have already been placed, the BRTC Chairman also stated.