To ease traffic congestion

Articulated bus service soon

UNB, Dhaka

The government has decided to introduce articulated bus service (dedicated-lane bus service) soon as a pilot project in the city as part of efforts to resolve its nagging traffic congestion. The decision came from a recent inter-ministerial meeting held with Roads and Railway Division secretary ASM Ali Kabir in the chair.
According to the decision, 20 buses -- 10 of BRTC and 10 privately owned double-deckers run by diesel-will ply Gabtali-Asad Gate-Farm Gate-Shahbagh-Gulistan route under the articulated bus service. Executive director of Dhaka Transport Coordination Board (DTCB) Abu Bakar Mohammad Shahjahan was learned to have told the meeting that there is no alternative to introducing articulated bus service in Dhaka as traffic congestion in the city is getting worse day by day.
He said some 4000 minibuses are now plying the city and those need to be phased out to ease the traffic jam.The DTCB executive director also called for making the city roads free from rickshaws before introducing the articulated bus services.
Articulated buses (either motorbuses or trolleybuses), also known as tandem buses, bendy buses, banana buses, slinky buses, caterpillar buses or accordion buses (and not to be confused with Flxible buses), are buses of a type with an increased passenger capacity.
Found almost exclusively in public transportation use, these buses are approximately 18 m (60 ft) long, while regular buses are 11 to 14 m (35-45 ft) long. To make them nimble enough to safely navigate streets at their increased length, they are fitted with an extra axle (set of wheels) and a joint usually located slightly behind the midpoint of the bus, behind the second axle.