E-ticketing for city buses to bid tackle congestion and emissions

Passengers travelling by bus across Dhaka and its surrounding areas will soon be required to purchase electronic tickets before boarding, as authorities prepare to roll out a long-awaited e-ticket system for city and suburban bus services within the next week.

The initiative, announced at a press conference in the capital on Monday, is aimed at improving order and transparency in Dhaka’s bus network, which has long been criticised for fare disputes, unsafe competition among operators and chronic traffic congestion.

Officials say the move is expected not only to improve passenger safety and service quality but also to contribute to broader efforts to reduce congestion-related fuel waste and vehicle emissions in one of the world’s most densely populated cities.

The system is being implemented through a joint initiative involving the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), transport owners’ and workers’ associations, and labour organisations with technical support provided by Urbanmove Tech.

Speaking at the event, Additional Police Commissioner Md Sarwar said the DMP had been working to address traffic congestion across the capital and described the digital ticketing system as a key step in that effort.

He said the introduction of e-tickets would help reduce roadside crowding, prevent aggressive competition between buses for passengers and improve overall safety and comfort for commuters. Transport experts note that smoother boarding and regulated stopping points could also reduce idling time, cutting fuel consumption and emissions from diesel-powered buses.

Under the new system, buses will be required to pick up and drop off passengers only at designated stops. According to Saiful Alam, general secretary of the Dhaka Road Transport Owners’ Association, passengers will need to obtain tickets in advance using a mobile application or designated devices, and fares will be strictly capped at government-approved rates. Existing concessions for students, including half fares, will remain in place.

Transport analysts say digital ticketing could also improve route planning and data collection, allowing authorities to better manage traffic flow and assess fuel efficiency across the network. Dhaka’s transport sector is a major contributor to urban air pollution, with buses accounting for a significant share of diesel use in the city.

Additional Police Commissioner (Traffic) Md Anisur Rahman attended the event as a special guest, alongside leaders of transport workers’ unions and representatives from Urbanmove Tech. Junaid Abdullah, the managing director of the company, stated that they designed the technology platform to accommodate large passenger volumes and guarantee fare transparency.

Environmental specialists say that while e-ticketing alone will not solve Dhaka’s congestion or pollution challenges, it represents a step toward more efficient urban mobility. They argue that better-regulated bus operations, combined with cleaner vehicles and improved public transport planning, are essential to reducing fuel consumption and emissions in the capital.

Dhaka has struggled for years with unmanaged bus services, overlapping routes and inconsistent fare enforcement, contributing to congestion that raises both economic and environmental costs. The authorities plan to gradually expand the digital system based on operational performance and public response.

If implemented effectively, transport planners believe the initiative could support the longer-term goals of modernising public transport, improving energy efficiency, and reducing the environmental footprint of daily commutes in Bangladesh’s capital.