The Bus Route Rationalisation Committee (BRRC) on Sunday has deferred the test run of bus operation from Ghatarchar to Kanchpur via Motijheel for the fourth time bringing allegation of non-cooperation from bus owners.

The service was supposed to kick off on December 1, but it has been rescheduled for December 26.

Convener of BRRC and DSCC Mayor Taposh said that the trial operation would start on December 26 instead of December 1.

On the other hand, Joint Convener of the committee Atiqul Islam, also the mayor of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), blamed bus owners for the deferral.

He said, “We have no lack of sincerity, but the bus owners didn’t keep their promises. So, we will start the operation with some BRTC buses on 26 December.”

Earlier, the committee decided to start the bus operation with only two companies ‘Malancha’ and Rajoniganda under the name of Dhaka Nagar Paribahan.

“We didn’t get adequate response from the bus owners, as only six companies applied for operating buses on the route. Now we are going to open the option for all. We will issue a public circular and any entrepreneur and franchise can apply for operating buses on the route,” he said.

He claimed that the committee is very close to achieving its goal to bring back discipline on the roads.

Taposh also said that they would conduct drives and destroy the buses after seizures that were plying in Dhaka without route permit.

On 9 December 2019, the government formed the 10-member committee with DSCC mayor as convener and DNCC mayor as joint convener.