Photo: Collected

DHAKA, Sept 16, 2025 (BSS) – The number of vehicles in Dhaka city is increasing, but it still remains insufficient compared to the ever-growing population.
 
Working women and school and college students suffer greatly due to the lack of adequate transport facilities, with office-going women being the worst affected.
 
Amid the crisis, there is a ray of hope for commuters of the densely populated capital as various app-based transportation service providers have stepped in to address the public transport problem. Many women are now using these services to reach their destinations on time.
 
Diba Shabnam is one of them. Diba, who works at an NGO, has to reach her office by 9 am every day. But since the office is far away, she used to face problems regularly. Even if she reached the bus stop at 7:30 am, she often could not get on a bus. As a result, she ended up being late to the office several days a month.
 
CNGs were also not readily available in the morning, and even if she managed to find one, she had to spend 10–15 minutes bargaining with the drivers. However, for the past few months, Diba has not had to face such problems anymore.
 
Now Diba uses app-based transportation services such as Pathao and Uber. Before leaving home, she books a vehicle through one of the apps—most often a motorbike. Now she leaves home after 8 am and, since there is less traffic in Dhaka in the morning, she can reach the office quickly.
 
Although her transportation cost has increased slightly, Diba said she is now quite independent. “I can reach the office very quickly on a motorbike,” she added.
 
She also said she can know the fare in advance through the apps. Regarding security, Diba said the app-based organizations are monitored round the clock, while road conditions and traffic congestion are also closely observed. “So far, I have not experienced any indecent behavior from the drivers. And even if I do, there is a system to lodge complaints. As a result, there will not be much difficulty,” said the NGO official.
 
Nabila has recently joined a private organization, with her first posting in Motijheel, the capital’s business hub. She lives in the Pallabi area and, like others, has to reach her office by 9 am. As a new employee, she has not yet been allotted office transport and used to face various difficulties commuting to work every day.
 
One day, her office colleague suggested using an app-based transportation service. He even downloaded the Pathao and Uber apps on Nabila's mobile phone.
 
Initially, Nabila did not use them out of fear. But one day, unable to find any vehicle for a long time, she booked a motorcycle through the app. “The fare was also comparatively low—much less than CNG,” she said.
 
Now she no longer waits for buses. She uses app-based transportation every day, both for going to the office and returning home.
 
Nabila said, “I was very hesitant at first. But after using it for a few days, I feel very comfortable. It is still very difficult for women to get on a bus. During office hours, even after waiting for hours, a bus is often not available. When passengers finally get on, everyone gets crammed inside. Even after pushing through, women have to face a lot of unwanted touching. Moreover, the behavior of most bus helpers is very indecent. On the other hand, there is no such problem with these app-based transportation services. A car or motorcycle can be found very quickly, and on a motorcycle, you can reach the office in a short time."
 
She added that the cost is also reasonable. “There are discount offers at different times. I have even reached the office several times for Taka 130 to Taka 150. And the minimum fare for CNG is Taka 200.”
 
Ibrahim, a motorcycle driver of Pathao, said that drivers first have to register at the head office with their mobile number, voter ID, driving license, and vehicle documents. Then the organization arranges training for them, he said.
 
“In the training, we are taught various traffic rules and regulations and how to behave with passengers. Special emphasis is given on behavior with women passengers,” Ibrahim said.
 
He added that passengers can submit complaints directly through the apps. “Especially if any issue is reported by a woman, it is taken very seriously. If the complaint is proven, the driver’s license is immediately canceled. The organization also provides necessary assistance to take legal action.”
 
The popularity of app-based transportation services among women is increasing day by day as they help commuters reach their destinations safely and on time. According to sources, about 35 percent of women are currently using these services.