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BRTC's Volvo double deckers go into operation from today

Staff Reporter

The world famous Volvo double-decker buses, imported from Sweden, will be put on the city roads from today (Friday).

Communications Minister Barrister Nazmul Huda will formally inaugurate the new bus service, first-ever in Bangladesh, at a function at 10 am at the BRTC Bus Depot, Section No.12, Mirpur in the city.

A total of 50 Volvo double-deckers have been imported from Sweden by the government recently with a view to providing international standard, comfortable and secured service to the city dwellers.

Under the first-phase, 10 out of 50 Volvo buses, will be put into operation on Mirpur Section-12-Mirpur Section-10-Shewrapara-Farmgate-Shahbagh- GPO-Gulistan-Motijheel route and rest of the buses will be brought on different city routes in phases.

The bus fare for the Mirpur-12-Motijheel route has been fixed at Tk 12 for each passenger while Mirpur-12 to Farmgate and Farmgate to Motiheel will be charged Tk 6.

Chairman of the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) Advocate Taimur Alam Khandaker addressing a press conference at the Paribahan Bhaban at Rajuk Avenue on Thursday told the newsmen that under the second phase another 10 Volvo will go on operation at Gulistan-Malibagh- Maghbazar-Tibbet crossing-Mohakhali-Airport-Tongi route from April next.

Advocate Khandaker said that he had already asked the DC (Traffic) to free the route from rickshaws in phases as the Volvo would need to be operated at the left side of the roads.

Replying to a question, he said that the Volvo buses would not be leased out right now. Rather, the buses will be operated under the direct supervision and control of BRTC itself to ensure better services to the commuters providing adequate security measures, appointing female conductors and first- aid boxes.

The newly launched Volvo double deckers will operate maintaining strict time-schedule and the staff of the buses will be well-uniformed.

The BRTC Chairman informed that more than Tk 50.13 crore have been spent for importing the 50 buses through the Volvo's local agent Swedish Motors. Thus each of the buses costs Tk 1.027 crore.

"For purchasing these buses, the Bangladesh government had to pay 15 per cent downpayment while rest of the amount was provided by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA)," he said. SIDA has provided 42.50 per cent of the fund as grant and 42.50 per cent as credit loan, Adv Khandaker said.

Each of the buses has 119 sitting capacity while 40 passengers will be able to travel by standing.

All functions of Volvo double-deckers including break, suspension, stirring will be controlled by electronic system.

Citing the results of some studies, the BRTC Chairman said at present a total of 1100 passenger buses are plying on the city roads. But it requires minimum 4,000 buses to meet the demand of city dwellers. Of the total 1100 passenger buses, the state-run BRTC operates only 392, including 247 double-deckers.

He termed operation of the 50 Volvo buses as the epoch-making event in the history of Bangladesh's transport sector.

Adv Taimur Alam Khandaker said the BRTC has a plan to procure a total of 200 CNG buses and setting up 60 CNG fuelling stations and five CNG conversion workshops.

Regarding maintainaceof the Volvo, Director operation of BRTC told that two well-equipped workshops had also been brought with the Volvo double-deckers from Sweden

Director (Finance) of BRTC Syed Enamul Huq and GM (Admn) Md Iqbal Khan Chowdhury were present on the occasion.

http://www.nation-online.com/200203/01/n2030105.htm#BODY8

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