Affordable fares, clean environment, punctuality, safe travel - these are the services that passengers expect from the state-owned transport organization Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC). Although the organization has received government benefits and large investments, it has always failed to provide the expected services. Although more than 1,500 buses were purchased during the ousted Awami League (AL) government, the BRTC fleet now has 1,350 buses. Of these, 1,168 are in operation. This means that the government organization has not been able to maintain the buses purchased in the last 15 years.
Citing the bus crisis as the main problem of BRTC at present, the officials concerned said that an initiative is being taken to buy 340 buses from South Korea to overcome this crisis. In addition to buses, BRTC officials also announced plans to buy coaster-type small buses. However, transport experts say that the main problem of the public transport organization is not the shortage of buses, but managerial weaknesses and corruption. They believe that BRTC is not able to provide good service to passengers due to the lack of the characteristics of an ideal organization. On the other hand, passengers say that they are not getting good service from BRTC due to various problems, including non-compliance with the schedule, old and rickety buses, dilapidated seats, lack of cleanliness, and the risk of breakdowns on the way. BRTC currently operates buses on 213 routes in the country.
Although the BRTC fleet currently has 1,168 buses in operation, 1,558 were purchased during the previous Awami League regime. They were purchased from India, China, and South Korea. The cost was over BDT 12.98 billion, the bulk of which was foreign debt.
According to BRTC sources, 275 single-decker CNG-powered buses were purchased from China’s Dongfeng Yangtse with a loan of over BDT 1.13 billion from the Nordic Development Fund. 255 CNG-powered AC and non-AC buses were purchased from South Korea’s ‘Daewoo Bus’ with a loan of over BDT 2.78 billion from the Economic Development Corporation Fund. 290 double-deckers, 88 single-deckers, and 50 articulated buses were procured from India’s Ashok Leyland under a loan of over BDT 3.79 billion from the Indian Dollar Credit Line. 300 double-deckers, 100 AC and non-AC, and 100 AC intercity buses were brought from India with a loan of over BDT 5.27 billion from the Indian Line of Credit (LOC-2). Apart from buses, BRTC’s fleet includes 503 trucks, which were purchased from India.
Many of the buses purchased by the organization over the past decade and a half have broken down due to poor maintenance. BRTC has also been unable to maintain the buses purchased before this period due to poor maintenance.
Dr. Shamsul Hoque, a transportation expert and professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), remarked that BRTC has been providing passenger services through makeshift fixes for years. He told Bonik Barta, “Any well-organized public transport company has some common features. The features are conducting a survey before operating a bus on a route, having a bus stop, passenger shelter, ticketing system, as well as having a proper plan for how the bus will return after completing the journey, and where the bus will be parked at night. I see a lack of these features in BRTC. The company has been providing makeshit services to passengers for years. The company has not been able to show responsibility in bus maintenance so far.”
BRTC gets many facilities. They do not need any route permit. They can buy buses cheaply. There are many depots and manpower across the country for bus and truck operation and maintenance. Dr. Shamsul Hoque added, “BRTC, which has received so many facilities, could have easily created a standard of passenger service as a public transport company, but they have completely failed. There is a chance that the officials’ pockets will get heavy from purchases. That’s why we see the organization is more interested in purchases.”
Dr. Shamsul Hoque’s comments are reflected in a recent plan of the BRTC. In addition to operating buses and trucks on a commercial basis, the organization is planning to operate coasters (small buses). For this, several coaster-type buses will be purchased. BRTC Chairman Abdul Latif Molla presented this plan at a meeting held recently at the Road Transport and Highways Department. In this regard, he told Bonik Barta, “We have not yet decided how many buses to buy. Government funds or foreign loans may be required to finance the purchase.”
Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser in charge of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, believes that the bus crisis is one of the current problems in the BRTC. He told Bonik Barta that initiatives have been taken to procure several buses from South Korea to overcome the crisis. Initiatives have also been taken to bring back the buses that are on lease to the fleet. Apart from this, rapid passes are being introduced in BRTC buses to improve the quality of service.