'No seating or gate-locked bus services' in Dhaka from Apr 15

Buses that offer seating, 'gate-lock' or special services will not be allowed to operate in the capital from Apr 15, says Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association.

The announcement was made by the association's general secretary Khondaker Enayet Ullah after a meeting with transport owners and companies on Tuesday.

“No bus can offer seating, gate-lock or special services in Dhaka from Apr 15. These buses will have to follow the route permit,” he said.

Commuters are being deprived because of the ‘seating service’, said Enayet.

“There is no such thing called ‘seating service’ under the route permit.

"Thousands of commuters wait on streets during office hours. But these buses with ‘seating services’ leave them like that. This cannot continue,” he said.

He claimed these buses pick up passengers in the middle of routes but charge them for the entire route.

The association will deploy its members across the capital from Apr 15 to make sure the decision is implemented, he said.