No meeting of transport committee held in six months
The public transport problem aggravated in recent months due to the indifference of the Dhaka Metropolitan Regional Transport Committee, headed by the
city’s police commissioner, to address the issues.
Several transport companies were unable to press new buses on city roads while the commuters find it increasingly difficult to go to places of work and return home.
The city needs new routes for buses and some the existing routes await modification to cater to the requirements of growing number of commuters, said transport workers and companies.
Many public transport related issues of the capital city remained unresolved as no meeting of the Dhaka Metropolitan Regional Transport Committee was held in last six months, transport workers and owners said.
They said no new buses, human haulers and other transports could be pressed on city roads.
Usually, DMRTC, meets every month to resolve problems facing the city’s public transport system.
The DMRTC includes representatives from Bangladesh Road Transport Authority and the associations of transport owners and workers.
Its responsibilities include creation of new routes, providing and cancellation of route permits to transport companies and setting the timings for operating public transports.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police sources said that the DMRTC would hold a meeting some time this month.
On June 26, shipping minister, Shahjahan Khan expressed dissatisfaction over the irregularity in holding the committee meetings.
Speaking at the 38th meeting of the Road Transport Advisory Council, he said that the DMRTC ought to meet once every month.
The delays in holding committee meetings in the capital city, he said, compelled the workers to call strike.
The DMRTC member and Dhaka District Bus and Minibus Transport Workers’ Federation president Osman Ali told New Age that many issues relating to bus routes in the city remained pending as no committee meeting was held in last six months.
‘Some routes should be modified and new routes ought to be created,’ he said
Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association general secretary and DMRTC member K Enayet Ullah said that outstanding issues relating to routes and the city’s entire traffic situation await decisions from the DMRTC.
Several interested companies were not being able to press new buses on city roads needing permission from the DMRTC, he said.
DMP joint commissioner (traffic) Mir Rezaul Alam told New Age on Monday that a sub committee of DMRTC met on Sunday.
He called it nothing unusual for DMRTC not holding a meeting for six months.
-With New Age input
