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As of April 1, 2025, the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA) has taken a bold step to tame one of the world’s most chaotic urban transport systems. It shortlisted 60 bus routes for operation under a single-company franchise model, with 32 routes targeted for immediate rollout. This move follows the interim government’s earlier pledge to unify all capital buses under one disciplined network—where every bus follows assigned routes, stops only at designated points, and operates under a common framework.
For Dhaka’s millions of daily commuters, the announcement sparks genuine hope. Public transport in this megacity has long resembled a battlefield: reckless driving, fare fights, and hours of uncertainty are the norm. The lack of route discipline, cutthroat competition among private operators, and weak enforcement have created a system where passengers bear the worst burden.
DTCA’s own data illustrates the scale of the mess. Officially, Dhaka has 418 approved bus routes, but only 98 are currently active. More alarming: 388 unauthorized routes exist, and over 7,000 unlicensed buses operate alongside 4,500 approved ones. More than 1,000 buses lack valid fitness certificates. These numbers don’t just indicate regulatory failure—they reveal a transport system that has slid beyond effective control.
Against this backdrop, the franchise-based consolidation seems logical. DTCA estimates the selected routes could serve up to 80,000 daily riders under unified management.
The concept isn’t new. Major metropolitan areas worldwide—including several U.S. cities—use route franchises to replace destructive competition among private operators. In a franchise model, companies win specific routes through contracts. Revenue is pooled and managed transparently. Service quality becomes the key metric. Drivers earn fixed salaries instead of commissions based on passenger count, removing incentives for dangerous overtaking or random stops. New York’s express bus network and Los Angeles’s contracted local bus services offer real-world evidence that franchise systems can boost reliability when paired with strong oversight.
Dhaka itself previously tested a limited version through the Dhaka Nagar Paribahan service. While small in scope, it showed that route franchising improves passenger experience if backed by sustained institutional commitment. The current proposal aims to scale that philosophy dramatically.
Yet optimism must be tempered with realism.
The assumption that simply reducing the number of operating companies will automatically fix anarchy deserves scrutiny. Administrative consolidation may simplify management, but it doesn’t eliminate deeper structural problems accumulated over decades.
Consider a cautionary example: the state-owned Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) is essentially a single operator of its own fleet. Yet BRTC is far from a model of efficiency. Hundreds of its buses sit idle due to poor maintenance, bureaucratic inertia, and governance failures. Placing buses under fewer companies—or even one umbrella—doesn’t guarantee better performance.
The real challenge lies elsewhere. Much of Dhaka’s daily gridlock stems not from the number of operators but from the complete breakdown of operational discipline. Buses stop wherever drivers choose to pick up passengers—often in the middle of busy intersections. Multiple buses queue side by side competing for fares, blocking entire lanes. Illegal parking, unauthorized route deviations, and disregard for designated stops remain rampant. Traffic rules exist, but enforcement is inconsistent and often toothless.
Any meaningful reform must go beyond corporate restructuring. A successful franchise system requires complete operational integration. Routes must be scientifically designed to eliminate overlaps. Fleet sizes must match actual passenger demand. Modern, uniform buses should gradually replace aging vehicles. Digital ticketing can reduce cash handling and improve transparency. Drivers and staff must be directly employed by the franchise operator on fixed salaries, not forced to chase daily collections. Above all, regulators must continuously monitor compliance—using both technology and physical enforcement.
Equally critical is political and administrative resolve. Reforming Dhaka’s transport sector inevitably threatens entrenched commercial interests that have historically resisted discipline. Previous reform efforts failed not because ideas lacked merit, but because implementation weakened when resistance emerged. Unless authorities demonstrate sustained commitment over years—not months—this initiative could suffer the same fate.
The economic stakes are enormous. The government estimates traffic congestion costs Dhaka around Tk 370 billion annually and wastes roughly 3.2 million working hours each day. Beyond monetary losses lies an even heavier social toll: lost productivity, worsening public health, increased pollution, mounting psychological stress, and diminished quality of urban life.
To succeed, this reform must hinge not on how many companies operate buses, but on whether rules are enforced without exception. Unauthorized vehicles must be removed. Illegal stoppages must be eliminated. Fitness requirements must be strictly upheld. Traffic laws must be applied impartially. Without these, the new arrangement becomes little more than an administrative reshuffle.
The proposed overhaul represents an important opportunity—perhaps the best in years—to reset Dhaka’s public transport. Whether it becomes a lasting solution or another unrealized promise depends not on the elegance of the plan, but on the determination to enforce it.
