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launched five double-deckers on city routes but took them off the road after a while in the face of opposition from three-wheeler drivers’ unions.

“It is unfortunate that a divisional city of 1.8 million people doesn’t have any public bus. How will students and low-income people move?” said Gauranga Nandy, vice-president of Sachetan Nagarik Committee (Committee of Concerned Citizens), a grassroots-level watchdog established by TIB. “We don’t want luxury. We want a transport system that is affordable for all,” he added.

Abdul Gaffer Biswas, president of Khulna District Bus Owners Association, said that key city points such as Boikali, Notun Rasta intersection, Daulatpur, Phulbari Gate, and Shiromoni have long been occupied by drivers of three-wheelers.

In the past, whenever buses attempted to pick up passengers from these points, auto-rickshaw drivers often tried to bar them, leading to confrontation and even tussle. This persistent obstruction created an unfavourable environment for bus operators, discouraging them from continuing services, said Biswas, also a former lawmaker.

Pointing to a lack of a clear government policy, he said, “The bus service could have survived if certain routes were designated only for city buses. We are still willing to relaunch the service if the authorities cooperate… During elections, we heard promises regarding city transport services, but no initiative has yet been taken.”

A city corporation official said that though there were discussions on many occasions about reintroducing city bus services, no steps were taken to this effect. One of the biggest obstacles was political.

Some of the local political leaders with close ties to three-wheeler drivers’ unions resisted moves to reintroduce bus services, said the official who has been working at the city corporation for over 17 years.

Contacted, Khulna City Corporation Administrator Nazrul Islam Monju said initiatives are underway to relaunch city bus services.

He said they are considering the introduction of electric buses as a viable option.

The city corporation is working on a range of measures to improve traffic management, and the relaunch of bus services is part of its phased plan, Nazrul added.