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Change Your Life! |
New 68
double-deckers join BRTC |
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News |
April 6, 2000
Dhaka,
Apr 5 (UNB) – Another 68 double-deckers join the state-run BRTC’s
fleet tomorrow (Thursday) as part of the government’s bid to facilitate
the movement of city commuters. Officials
at Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) said the two-storied buses
of Ashok Leyland have been bought at a cost of 18.5 crore Rupees under
state credit provided by the Indian government. Of
the new 68 double-deckers, 55 have already arrived at the BRTC terminal at
city’s Kamlapur while the rest 13 are expected to reach tonight
(Wednesday night). The
BRTC officials said it has now 42 double-deckers with 40 plying in the
capital while two in northern Rajshahi. These buses had been bought at 14
crore Rupees, also with credit from the Indian government. They
said a process is also underway to bring 110 more double-deckers shortly.
Of them, 60 will be brought from the Indian Ashok Leyland while the rest
50 from Volvo with credit from Swedish government. BRTC
Chairman Azmal Chowdhury said that adding of more and more double-deckers
to the BRTC’s fleet would help make the movement of city commuters much
easier. At
present, 60 percent city dwellers in the capital move on foot while nine
percent use buses. The city dwellers are willing to commute by bus, but
they can’t for lack of busses. “These
double-deckers will be able to ensure much easier journey for the
commuters in addition to contributing to easing traffic congestion, a
common phenomenon of the capital,” the BRTC Chairman said. Finance
Minister Shah AMS Kibria will inaugurate the new 68 double-deckers at a
function here tomorrow (Thursday). Communications Minister Anwar Hossain
Manju will also be present. The
BRTC authorities could not yet finalize how many buses of the new fleet
will be plying in Dhaka and how many outside the capital. But it’s clear
that most of the double-deckers will remain in Dhaka. The
state-run corporation at present runs 90 percent of its vehicles under a
leasing-out system. Unemployed but enthusiastic youths are given the buses
and they pay for it in installments. Many
city dwellers said BRTC has now become more popular for its systematic
movement of buses. Even then there is an allegation that party followers
get priority in taking lease of the buses.
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