Govt plans to grant access to all public transports in one ticket

The government plans to grant people access to all public transport with one ticket as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has instructed the agencies to build an integrated communication system.

The instruction was given at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council or ECNEC on Tuesday.

“In the meeting, the prime minister has ordered an integrated communication system for rail, road and marine transports so that people can travel in one ticket. Such systems are in place in advanced countries,” said Planning Minister MA Mannan after the meeting.

The prime minister also gave some instructions for the development of the communication system, particularly railways.

"The prime minister directed officials to convert remaining rail gauges to broad gauge to modernise the rail link of the country in the near future,” said the minister.

The prime minister also placed an emphasis on BMRE [Balancing, Modernisation, Rehabilitation, Expansion] to improve the efficiency of the railway sector.

"Through this, efficiency of the railway staff will have to be increased so that they themselves can make the small parts of the railways. Now everything of the railway sector is imported. That's why she has ordered raising necessary workforce and make infrastructure.”

The prime minister also instructed the land ministry to make a national policy for the best use of the land without damaging crop land.

The ECNEC approved a total of nine projects at an estimated cost of Tk 164.33 billion. More than Tk 136.2 billion will come from the public exchequer, over Tk 2.86 billion from own funds of the public agencies and the rest Tk 25.28 billion in 'foreign credit'.