The Dhaka North City Corporation on Wednesday launched a pilot smart bus service for students of Banani Bidyaniketan School and College to ensure safe commuting of students.
Three double-decker buses, provided by the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation, will operate on three fixed routes, said a press release. Â
Presiding over the event, the DNCC mayor Atiqul Islam said that this initiative would address Dhaka’s traffic congestion and ensure safe commuting for students.
The bus service is equipped with the CCTV cameras for real-time surveillance and student tracking system that allow parents to monitor their children’s location during commutes, the mayor highlighted.
The mayor also mentioned that the bus service would be gradually introduced in other schools.Â
Education minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, who was chief guest at the programme, suggested exploring the possibility of operating the bus service on an area-wise route instead of limiting it to individual schools.
The routes are Kuril-Notunbazar-Gulshan-2 to Banani, Saidnagar-Gulshan-2 to Banani and Subastu Tower in North Badda -Gulshan 1- Amtoli to Banani. Â
The cost of the service would ranges from Tk800-1,200 per student a month.
The city corporation has constructed dedicated school bus stops at 39 locations throughout the city and will provide additional financial support to keep the programme viable, said the release.
