Government to buy 100 eco-friendly electric buses for women passengers, Tk 400 crore allocated

The government is going to buy 100 electric buses to make travel easier and eco-friendly for women passengers.

Tk 400 crore has already been allocated for setting up charging stations and building the necessary infrastructure. The government hopes the buses will be handed over to Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) by February 25 next year.

BRTC chairman Mir Ahmed Tariqul Omar told the media that Pragati Industries has been given the responsibility of buying the buses. The company has held talks with several Chinese bus suppliers.

There is a plan to invite tenders on November 18 and give the final order for buying the buses on November 22. A proposal will then be sent to the cabinet committee on government purchase for approval.

The buses are being bought through the direct purchase method instead of the usual open tender.

Earlier, on August 6, the government gave in-principle approval to a Tk 800 crore project to buy 200 electric buses and build the necessary infrastructure. In the first phase of the two-phase project, 100 buses are being bought for women.

Meanwhile, the pink bus service launched for women in the capital and other parts of the country faces a passenger shortage. The service was launched on a trial basis on August 18 with 14 buses on 13 routes in Dhaka, Chattogram and Bogura. Run by women drivers and assistants, the buses usually make two trips a day, in the morning and afternoon, but seats often remain empty.

The BRTC chairman said women passengers often travel with a husband, brother or child, but male companions cannot board because the buses are reserved for women only. That is why passenger numbers are low.

Considering the situation, BRTC has sent a proposal to the Road Transport Division seeking permission for male companions up to 16 years of age, or at most secondary exam candidates, to travel on the buses. A proposal has also come to keep some seats of the women-reserved buses for male passengers. The agency plans a social survey to learn public opinion on these matters.

If the new 100 electric buses are added, BRTC plans to expand the special bus service for women beyond the capital to other divisions of the country.