Rapid Pass Rolls Out on Hatirjheel Circular Buses
Starting Sunday, July 20, the smart ticketing system ‘Rapid Pass’ has been officially launched on the circular bus service in Hatirjheel, Dhaka. The program was inaugurated at 3:00 PM at the Tejgaon section of Hatirjheel. At the same event, Rapid Pass card usage was also introduced on 10 BRTC buses operating between Motijheel and Shib Bari in Gazipur.
The initiative was organized by the Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority (DTCA), with attendance from key dignitaries including Advisor to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges Muhammad Fauzul Kabir Khan, Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser Md. Khoda Bakhsh Chowdhury, Sheikh Moin Uddin, Senior Secretary of the Road Transport and Highways Division Md. Ehchanul Haque, and Chief Coordinator of Sammilito Sramik Parishad Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas.
Speaking at the event, DTCA Executive Director Neelima Akhter stated, “As part of the initiative to collect fares across all public transport systems via the Rapid Pass card, fare collection has now begun on the Hatirjheel Circular Bus Service (HR Transport Agency) through the Rapid Pass system. This card enables passengers to travel on all public transport including the metro rail. It eliminates the risk of overcharging beyond government-fixed fares and removes the hassle of cash or change.”
She further added, “This card is available at all counters of the Hatirjheel circular buses. Additionally, it can be collected from all branches of Dutch-Bangla Bank and all metro rail stations. On Metro Rail Line-6, the average usage rate of the Rapid Pass has already exceeded 68%, with some days seeing usage over 70%. Beyond the metro, fare collection through Rapid Pass is now expanding to buses, water transport, and rail. A pilot project has also been launched for Rapid Pass usage on the Hatirjheel Water Taxi Service, and passengers will soon be able to pay fares using the card.”
The move is part of a broader effort by the government to streamline public transport payment systems and make commuting more convenient for city dwellers.
