Electric shuttle service introduced on DU campus

As an initiation of the 'on-campus job' opportunity for Dhaka University students, Green Future Foundation Bangladesh launched an electric shuttle service in affiliation with the university.

The service began its test run yesterday with four electric vehicles, each capable of carrying 14 students.

Powered entirely by electricity, each vehicle can travel up to 180 kilometres on a single charge.

Each vehicle employs four DU students who work in rotating shifts of three hours between 8:00am and 8:00pm.

These student workers will receive a monthly salary of Tk 8,000, said Khalid Hasan, chief executive officer (CEO) of Green Future Foundation Bangladesh, told The Daily Star.

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DU launches shuttle bus service on trial basis

Khalid also said students are not yet employed as drivers, but they are currently working to coordinate with drivers, collect fares, and manage passengers. However, that may soon change.

"We've already received applications from students interested in driving the vehicles," said Khalid.

"We will train them, help them get their driving licenses, and eventually replace professional drivers with students," he said.

The foundation CEO added that while the concept of on-campus jobs is popular in many top international universities, it remains something of a taboo in Bangladesh. "We want to break that taboo and establish our '3 Zero Policy'—zero poverty, zero unemployment, and zero carbon emission—right here on campus."

He said the eco-friendly vehicles are currently under a feasibility review, which may take from three to six months. If deemed successful, the foundation plans to introduce 10 more vehicles.

A solar panel station is also in the plans to provide clean energy for recharging the vehicles, Khalid said.

Since January this year, Green Future Foundation has been working with Dhaka University under the 'Green Campus, Clean Campus' project. As part of the initiative, they have been involved in traffic management, cleaning, and other campus services, employing DU students in both part-time and full-time roles with standard pay.