Under the bus route rationalisation program of the two Dhaka city corporations, 50 buses will start operating on the first trial route from Ghatarchar to Kanchpur from December 26.

Of the buses, 30 are double decker buses of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) and within two months the number will be doubled, said Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Mayor on Sunday.

After attending the 20th meeting of the bus route rationalisation committee, its president Mayor Taposh said, “Dhaka Nagar Paribahan is a gift for the city dwellers on the occasion of golden jubilee of country’s Victory Day.”

Replying to journalists’ questions, Taposh said, “There are 1,546 unlicensed buses operating in Dhaka city and joint drives are being conducted against them as no such buses will be allowed to operate anymore.”

He said already 29 unlicensed buses have been seized and dumped.

“We are planning to coordinate all the permitted buses on this trial route with other routes of this green cluster within January 31,” said the DSCC mayor.

Within next 60 days all the new buses on this route will start operating, he said.

Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Mayor Md Atiqul Islam said, from the first-day e-ticketing system will be available for buses operating on this route, all the drivers and staff will have separate uniforms and ID cards.

“Construction work of bus bays and passenger shades for these routes is almost complete,” he said.