Transparent Transit via Data Analytics
Digital Ticketing Drives Smarter Public Transit
- Unified backend payment architectures drive mobility planning through passenger data analytics.
- Strong cybersecurity and data privacy protocols urged to eliminate digital divide.
- Multi-sectoral collaboration to curb revenue leakage, ensure insurance, and improve safety.
Transforming public transport from manual paper slips into an integrated, data-driven digital ticketing architecture with secure electronic payment backends has emerged as a core priority for national mobility modernization.
Wednesday, September 16, 2026: The consensus emerged at a roundtable titled "Digital Ticketing to Transform Lives, Powered by Shohoz," organized by policy dialogue platform Benchmark Dialogue in partnership with PR agency Benchmark and ticketing platform Shohoz at the Amari Dhaka hotel. Benchmark Dialogue Chairman Ashraf Kaiser moderated the session. Col. (Retd.) Md. Aminul Huq, CEO of Shohoz.com, delivered the welcome address, while Shakil Joaddar Rahim, Director (Tickets) at Shohoz.com, reviewed industry metrics.
Dr. Fahmida Khatun, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), stated that while tax payments, banking, and utility bills are digitizing rapidly, transportation must follow without creating a digital divide. She underlined the critical need for strict data privacy and cybersecurity to remove user anxieties surrounding electronic transactions, making the entire journey inclusive and hassle-free.
Md. Nabir Uddin, Senior System Analyst at the ICT Division's Digital Governance & Implementation branch, called for an integrated single-window ticketing platform supported by diverse backend providers. BRTC Deputy General Manager Shukdeb Dhali highlighted that the Pink Bus service already runs fully online, building public trust in state revenue collection. Assistant Professor Kazi Saifun Newaz of BUET's Accident Research Institute urged the use of predictive data analytics to identify route pressures, monitor peak hours, and allocate fleet capacities scientifically.
Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) President AHM Shafiquzzaman emphasized full automation to eliminate past e-commerce vulnerabilities and safeguard consumer rights. Passenger Welfare Association President Sharif Rafiqozzaman demanded transit insurance schemes and structured fare compliance. FBCCI Administrator Fazlul Hoque noted that shifting from counter bargain habits to cash movement regulation will normalize fares. Shyamoli Paribahan Director Rajat Ghosh advocated for terminal-based digitization instead of dispersed counters. Sena Kalyan Travel Director General Brig. Gen. Mohammad Khaled Kamal highlighted the need to eliminate seat confirmation anxiety. Fantasy Island Managing Director Maj. (Retd.) Maksudul Rahman Adnan suggested introducing unified travel cards, while US-Bangla Airlines GM Kamrul Islam called for proactive local aviation tech initiatives to foster reliable online travel ecosystems.
//DBTech/EHM/SME/MIST//
