Parliament: Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday in his budget speech said the government has a plan to introduce e-ticketing system in buses, railways, water vessels and private bus services.

The e-ticketing system will be introduced in the transport sector with a view to providing people with hassle-free and comfortable journey, he said while placing the proposed national budget for 2017-18 fiscal year in Parliament.

The minister said the government will upgrade 373km national highways to 4-lane ones with a provision for separate service lanes for slow-moving vehicles in the upcoming fiscal year of 2017-18.

In order to build a quality communication infrastructure and develop road transport system, the government has undertaken a zone-based cluster projects to upgrade around 1,179 km regional highways, he said.

Besides, the government plans to undertake cluster projects for the construction of 1,855-km highways in Bandarban, Rangamati and Khagrachari districts, he added.

"Upgradation work on 3,813km national highways to make those 4-lane ones across the country is also underway. In continuation of this, in FY 2017-18, we will upgrade 373 km national highways to 4-lane ones with a provision for separate service lane for slow moving vehicles," Muhith said.

Besides, upgradation work on Dhaka-Sylhet highways to 4-lane ones will be undertaken very soon, the minister said.

In the proposed budget of 2017-18, the transport and communication sector has got the second highest allocation of Tk 50,080 crore, which is much higher than Tk 36,265 crore allocated for the sector in the revised budget of 2016-17 fiscal year.

Among Tk 50,080 crore, Road Transport and Highway Division got Tk 19269 crore, while Railways Ministry Tk 16,013 crore, Shipping Ministry Tk 2,732 crore, Civil Aviation and Tourism Tk 687 crore, Posts and Telecommunications Division Tk 2,522 crore, and Bridges Division Tk 8,430 crore.