The Rapid Pass was introduced in the Hatirjheel circular bus service on Sunday, enabling the passengers to travel on these buses using the passes.聽
Before Sunday, Rapid Passes were used only to travel on the metro rail.
Road transport and bridges adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan inaugurated the system on the day at the Hatirjheel鈥檚 FDC counter at an event held by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority.
Currently the average percentage use of the Rapid passes in the metro trains is 68 per cent while some days it exceeds 70 per cent, according to the metro rail authorities.
The introduction of the Rapid Pass to the Hatirjheel circular bus service is part of a broader initiative to introduce it for all public transports, officials have said.
At the event, the officials also said that two pilots were ongoing in the Hatirjheel water taxi and in the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation services.
According to the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, the passengers can use the same Rapid Passes in the 16 buses under the Hatirjheel circular bus service they use at the metro stations.
The passengers need to tap the passes on the bus validator machine installed on the bus gates to pay the bus fares.
The passengers will also be able to buy and recharge Rapid Passes from eight ticket counters of the Hatirjheel bus service.
Chaired by DTCA executive director Neelima Akhter, the inauguration event was also attended by the chief adviser鈥檚 special assistants for the road transport and bridges ministry Sheik Moinuddin, for the home ministry Md Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, and for the post, telecommunications and information technology ministry Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, along with Road Transport and Highways Division senior secretary Md Ehsanul Hoque.
Earlier, the DTCA ran a pilot with the Rapid Passes on some Hatijheel buses.
Since October 2024, the DTCA started to sell Rapid Passes from the metro stations.
Till July 18, total 14.15 lakh Rapid Passes were sold, while another 2.5 lakh will arrive next month.