The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation on Sunday began its new bus service for schoolchildren in a move to ease the Dhaka city’s traffic congestion.
Seven buses each from Pallabi and Azimpur operated every 10 minutes with schoolchildren and some of their guardians.
The buses run between Pallabi and Azimpur from 6:30am to 9:00am and from 11:00am to 3:00pm, BRTC deputy general manager Quazi Shafique Uddin said, adding, ‘We will begin our service from 6:00am as the guardian requested to do so.’
The students were seen waiting at 33 designated passenger shades.
Fourteen buses are on service to give the communication support to the students of 26 city schools under a pilot project, which the communications minister, Syed Abul Hossain, on Saturday at the city’s Mirpur Bangla High School.
The school-goers were seen smiley while getting into the buses and getting down as the environment of the busses was comfortable.
Students availed the buses by buying tickets as the card service was yet to be launched. The fare ranges from Tk 5 to Tk 18 as per the distance.
As the buses were decorated and there was a television showing cartoons, the students were seen in a happy mood.
Private transports used for the school-going children have long been blamed for traffic congestion of the capital.
Many private cars are parked on the roads in front of the schools during the time of opening and closing of the schools, which is blamed by many experts for the traffic jam.
