The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporatio (BRTC) has inaugurated special buses with third generation wireless internet connectivity for commuters in the capital. Passengers will be able to use internet while traveling in buses using wifi connectivity system. The BRTC termed the buses as digital buses. The buses would not only provide Wifi internet services they will also be controlled with vehicles tracking technology.The Access to Information (AI) project under the Prime Minister’s Office provided technical assistance to introduce the Wifi services. Initially 10 busses of BRTC has brought under the network.A total of four Wifi radars of state-owned telephone company Teletalk Bangladesh Limited will be installed in each of the buses and at least 40 passengers, who have smartphone devices, would be able to use the Wifi internet services, said Muntasir Mamun, adviser of AI project. Communications Minister Obaidul Quader and State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak inaugurated the service at the capital’s Farmgate area at 4.30pm on Thursday.Meanwhile, the government also introduced a vehicle tracking facility for the passengers, Mamun said. “The vehicle tracking facility will enable the passengers to track the bus they are planning to ride and know the time of its arrival,” Naimuzzaman Mukta, people’s perspective specialist of a2i programme,. He said BRTC authorities would also be able to monitor their buses. The passengers will have to visit urbanlaunchtad.org.brtc to get this facility. Naimuzzaman Mukta said the government is also planning to introduce the facility in train compartments. Besides, the facilities will be made available in other public buses immediately. Passengers should not face obstacle if the Wifi buses run between 55 kilometers of the tower and travels at 60 kilometers per hour speed. In April, 2012, BRTC introduced digital ticketing systems in buses with support of Japanese agency JICA.
