He made these remarks as the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of the 'Women's Bus Service (Pink Bus)' organised by the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) at the BRTC Dhaka Truck Depot premises in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Tuesday.
The Minister said, "Not just after boarding the bus, but during the waiting period for the bus and even after getting off—a safe and passenger-friendly environment must be ensured for women at all times. If harassment, discomfort, or insecurity is created while boarding or alighting, women lose interest in using public transport. Therefore, ensuring safe movement for women is the state's responsibility."
As part of implementing the current government's election manifesto, this special bus service for women only—operated by female drivers and female conductors—has been launched to ensure safe and comfortable public transport for women.
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The event was also attended by State Minister for Railways and Road Transport and Highways Division Habibur Rashid MP and Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division Dr. Mohammad Ziaul Haque as special guests. The programme was presided over by BRTC Chairman Abdul Latif Molla.
Minister Sheikh Rabul Alam said that alongside ensuring safe movement for women, the government is working to gradually make the country's transport system more environmentally friendly and modern. He added that dependence on fossil fuels will be reduced and the use of electric vehicle (EV) buses will be increased. He also informed that initiatives have been taken to procure 100 pink-coloured electric buses for women passengers, with a target of launching 50 within the next three months and 100 in phases.
Initially, this service has been launched with a total of 14 buses on 13 routes in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Bogura cities. Of these, 10 buses will operate in Dhaka, 2 in Chattogram, and 2 in Bogura. Among the 10 buses in Dhaka, one is single-decker and nine are double-decker. Through this special bus service, women passengers will be served at a total of 134 stops—106 in Dhaka metropolis, 12 in Chattogram, and 16 in Bogura.
State Minister Habibur Rashid MP said the special feature of this service is that not only the passengers but the drivers and conductors are also women. He added that e-ticketing, CCTV cameras, and Vehicle Tracking System (VTS) facilities have been integrated into these buses.
Secretary Dr. Mohammad Ziaul Haque said the target is to add 50 electric buses within the next three months and 100 within six months to this service.
BRTC Chairman Abdul Latif Molla said initiatives have been taken to transform BRTC, the only state-owned transport corporation, into a more modern, passenger-friendly, and service-oriented institution.
The Women's Bus Service has introduced e-ticketing facilities. Additionally, CCTV cameras have been installed in 3 buses and Wi-Fi in 1 bus during the initial phase, and VTS has been added to every bus.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Yasmin Parvin, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; officials from various levels of the Road Transport and Highways Division; heads of various organisations; senior BRTC officials; passengers and service recipients of the Women's Bus Service; and various stakeholders from the transport sector.