Dhaka:City buses in Dhaka are failing to ensure the safety and comfort of women, children, persons with disabilities, and older people due to violations of reserved-seat rules, a lack of helpers, and unsafe boarding and alighting practices.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads and Railways (NCPSRR) and the Shipping and Communication Reporters Forum (SCRF) came to this conclusion after inspecting more than 50 buses operating on various routes across the capital in September. The findings were released in a joint press statement by the two organizations.
The inspection revealed that none of the buses complied with government directives mandating nine reserved seats on each bus for women, children, persons with disabilities, freedom fighters, and older people. Although some notices about the directive were displayed, most buses did not adhere to the rule. Observers noted that men often occupied these reserved seats, forcing vulnerable passengers to stand.
Additionally, about 80 percent of the buses lacked a helper to assist with passenger management. The report noted that drivers typically rent buses from owners daily and hire conductors, avoiding additional costs by not employing helpers. Conductors frequently stopped buses at both designated and unauthorized locations, leading to hurried and unsafe passenger movements, with minor accidents occurring almost daily.
To address these issues, the NCPSRR and SCRF recommended enforcing the reservation of seats, appointing helpers on every bus, ending daily rental arrangements, and preventing buses from stopping at unauthorized locations. They also suggested prohibiting passengers from boarding or alighting at non-designated stops.
Ashis Kumar Dey, the general secretary of NCPSRR, criticized local bus operations for ignoring rules and prioritizing profit over passenger safety. He urged authorities to deploy mobile courts to enforce regulations. Lion Mohd Jahangir Alam, general secretary of SCRF, described the findings as indicative of the persistent disorder in Dhaka's public transport system and called for government attention to address these longstanding issues.