The government has decided to take measures immediately to shift the inter-district bus terminals outside the city aimed at reducing traffic congestion and modernise traffic management in the capital.

Senior officials of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) and the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (RAJUK) on Tuesday visited the potential sites at Jhilmil Residential Project area in Keraniganj and Purbachal area, according to a DMP press release issued today.

RAJUK Chairman Engr Reazul Islam led the team while DMP Additional Commissioner (Traffic) Anisur Rahman and other senior officials were present.

The initiative followed a meeting held on August 29, with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman in the chair for easing traffic congestion and put in place a modern traffic management in capital.

The meeting also proposed for relocating all stands of city bus and minibus services and small transport services from Badamtoli–Falpatty and Lalbagh areas as well as workshops outside the city.

The meeting decided that a permanent bus terminal would be constructed at Keraniganj for operating buses of 19 districts in the southern region of the country. 

For this purpose, the government is processing the acquisition of around 75 acres of land near the RAB-10 office in Keraniganj.

Until the permanent terminal is constructed, the authorities plan to temporarily operate the concerned transport services from Jhilmil project area, asking RAJUK to implement the temporary arrangement within next four months.

RAJUK Chief Engineer (Implementation) Aminur Rahman, Urban Planner Mohammad Nur-E-Khuda, Deputy Urban Planner Nabayan Khisa, Member (Development) Mohammad Zahirul Islam, Jhilmil Residential Project Director Hafizul Islam and other relevant officials were present during the site visit.