The much-anticipated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project is set to partially launch on 16 December with two air-conditioned buses operating initially on the route between Gazipur’s Shib Bari and Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The announcement was made today (8 December) by the Senior Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division, Md Ehshanul Haque, during a meeting at the Shib Bari BRT station following an inspection of the project.
“A significant amount of time and money has already been spent on the BRT project, and people have been waiting for this service for years. This waiting must end. Initially, two AC buses will operate on a trial basis. The formal inauguration of the BRT project is scheduled for 16 December,” he said.
While the route will open for operation, he noted that some issues remain unresolved.
“Not all problems can be solved overnight. Currently, every station has foot-over bridges, but they are inadequate for pedestrian movement. Ten additional foot-over bridges will be constructed soon from the airport to Gazipur.
“So far, 98% of the project work has been completed, and we hope to make the project fully operational by June next year,” he added.
The AC bus service, operated by the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), will run between Gazipur and the airport in the initial phase.
BRTC Chairman Md Tajul Islam shared more details, stating, “We have been running two buses on the Gazipur-to-airport route for some time but could not attract sufficient passengers. As a result, these buses now operate between Shib Bari and Gulistan.
“After the official inauguration on 16 December, 10 buses will initially run on this route, with more added based on demand.”
What will be the fares
The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has announced initial fares for the BRT buses.
For the route from Shib Bari, fares have been set at Tk20 to Chourasta, Tk35 to Board Bazar, Tk50 to Tongi College Gate, and Tk70 to the Airport.
On the return route, the fare from the Airport to College Gate will be Tk25, to Board Bazar Tk40, to Chourasta Tk55, and back to Shib Bari Tk70.
