The Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has directed that GPS systems be installed in all public transport vehicles in a move aimed at improving road transport management.
In a public notice issued on Monday, the regulator said that from 1 August, all types of public transport must be equipped with GPS devices, which must also remain continuously operational.
The notice stated that the initiative has been taken as part of efforts to strengthen road management. It added that technical specifications for GPS installation can be collected from BRTA local offices.
BRTA Director (Engineering) Mohammad Shahidullah told TIMES of Bangladesh that the directive applies only to public transport, specifically buses.
He said there are around 20,000 buses operating across the country.
Kazi M Zobayer Masud, joint general secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association, said around 10 per cent of bus owners have already installed GPS systems voluntarily.
“If GPS is installed, one benefit is that drivers will be more cautious. Another advantage is that if a driver is involved in an accident, police will be able to track where the vehicle is heading,” he said.
Despite repeated pledges by successive governments to ensure safer roads, the reality on the ground remains unchanged.
According to the Jatri Kalyan Samity (Passengers’ Welfare Association), 9,111 people were killed and a further 14,812 injured in road accidents in 2025. The organisation said fatalities have been rising annually.
One of the contributing factors identified is the continued operation of ageing and defective vehicles.
BRTA had previously issued a notification setting the economic life of goods vehicles at 25 years and buses at 20 years, prohibiting the operation of expired vehicles.
However, enforcement has remained limited over the past 15 years of the Awami League government, nearly two years under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, and three months of the current BNP government.
The formation of the National Road Safety Council, the country’s highest policy-making body on road safety, has also not taken place since the BNP came to power.
Although the previous Awami League government announced a ban on slow-moving vehicles such as “nosimon” and “korimon” on national highways, the measure was never fully implemented.
Road safety activists have expressed doubt over how effective the new GPS initiative will be.
Saiful Rahman, executive director of the Road Safety Foundation, said GPS alone would not be enough to improve road safety.
“GPS is useful, but it will not make a difference unless unfit and expired vehicles are removed from the roads,” he said.
He added that the lack of a comprehensive and sustainable policy has meant that isolated measures often fail to deliver results. “That is why no single initiative works in isolation, and GPS alone will not be effective,” he said.
