Assam’s PWD Minister Ajanta Neog has flagged off trial run of Guwahati-Dhaka bus service.
Published : 11 Dec 2014, 12:11 AM
The 32-seater air-conditioned bus of the Assam State Transport Corporation carrying a joint delegation of officials of India and Bangladesh left from Guwahati’s Inter State Bus Terminus on Wednesday morning for Dawki on Meghalaya-Bangladesh border to cover the 196-km Indian leg of the journey.
From Dawki border, the delegation will be transshipped to a bus from Bangladesh to cover remaining 300-km journey to Dhaka via Sylhet.
Neog flagged off the bus service in presence of senior officials from Bangladesh, Meghalaya and Assam.
The minister said the route was functional before independence and now it was revived after 67 years as part of the "Look East Policy" of the government in New Delhi.
The entire 496 km route from Guwahati to Dhaka would soon be opened for passenger movement to help promote trade and commerce, Neog said.
The trial run was to assess the route condition and estimate the actual journey time for a regular bus service from Guwahati to Dhaka.
It will also assess number of stoppages required along the route and make arrangements for tourists and other travellers at the Dawki border point for checking travel documents, the Assam minister added.
India and Bangladesh currently have two regular bus services, one between Kolkata and Dhaka and the other between Agartala and Dhaka.
The decision to undertake the trial run of the bus service was taken at the meeting of the Joint Commission between India and Bangladesh held on Sept 20.
The trial run will conclude at Dhaka on Thursday.