Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association General Secretary Md. Saiful Alam announced that 21 bus companies operating from Abdullahpur to various destinations in the capital will be brought under a single company. The new system, set to launch on Thursday, will introduce ticket-counter-based operations, and the buses will be painted pink.

This announcement was made during a press conference at the association’s office on Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in Dhaka today. It was stated that around 2,610 buses will operate from Abdullahpur to different parts of the city, and passengers will no longer be allowed to board without tickets or get on and off at random locations.

Saiful Alam explained that for the past 16 years, buses and minibuses in Dhaka have been operating under a contract system without adhering to regulations, leading to unhealthy competition in public transport. Random boarding and disembarking have contributed to traffic congestion, chaos, and accidents. Following a meeting held on December 19 under the chairmanship of the advisor to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, decisions were made to strengthen discipline in the transport sector, reduce traffic congestion in Dhaka, and control air pollution. As per the meeting’s resolutions, bus owners have been instructed to sign fortnightly or monthly contracts with drivers instead of trip-based agreements.

Starting Thursday, buses from Gazipur to Dhaka will operate based on ticket counters, with the official launch scheduled at 10:30 AM from Abdullahpur. Saiful Alam also mentioned that by the end of this month, buses in Mirpur, Gabtoli, and Mohammadpur will follow the same system. Passengers will need to purchase tickets from designated counters before boarding.

The press conference was also attended by Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association President M.A. Baten, Treasurer A.S.M. Ahmed Khokon, and Office Secretary Kazi Md. Zobayer Masud, among others.