Student movement for ‘half pass’ on public buses intensifies
On Monday, protesting students blocked the Mohammadpur and Science Lab intersections, leading to massive traffic jams across the city
A student movement demanding a 'half pass' or 50% discount for students on local buses continued on Monday, with students staging demonstrations at various points in the capital leading to massive traffic congestion in the city.
Students in the capital have been protesting for the past few days demanding halved bus fares after recent reports of bus conductors denying to agree to half passes.
On Monday, Students of Mohammadpur Government College, City College, and Ideal College, blocked the Mohammadpur and Science Lab intersections, leading to massive traffic jams across the city.
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There were allegations against protesting students for seizing bus keys after they stopped a number of local buses.
On Monday morning, students engaged in a brawl with a bus conductor of Shadhin Paribahan, which operates on the Mohammadpur-Rampura route, and at one point, students reportedly assaulted the bus conductor physically.
Students in the capital first started to stage demonstrations demanding half bus fares from 18 November, when they blocked roads in the Nilkhet and New Market areas. Since then students have been carrying on their movement in some areas of the capital every day, and have reportedly vandalized some 30 buses so far.
Bus owners, however, have been reluctant in agreeing to halve bus fares.
"It is not possible for us to take half fares. The government does not give us any benefits and we can't afford the losses. We will charge according to the fare-chart the government has fixed," said Bus Owners' Association joint secretary, Samdani Khondoker.
"Bus-owners will take measures against any damage done to buses by the protesters," he added.
Meanwhile, the Passengers' Welfare Association of Bangladesh has termed the half bus fare a student right.
"Half bus fare is not just a demand of students, it is their right," said the association's Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury in a press release.
The Passengers' Association demands a half fare for students and disabled people who occupy 30% of seats, as well as for passengers who don't get seats and go standing on bus trips.
Mozammel said that according to the fare determination process, a half fare for students and standing passengers is not some kind of kindness.
Meanwhile, the government has directed authorities concerned to take the issue seriously and to undertake proper measures.
"To address the half pass issue, discussion is underway with ministry officials," said Mahbub-E-Rabbani, spokesperson and director of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).
