Shariatpur transport sector booms in 7 months since Padma Bridge opening

Highlights:

• 7 companies run 350 passenger buses on different routes to and from Shariatpur
• Rent-a-car business has boomed in the district
• Shariatpur traders have started transporting goods by trucks and pickups as it costs less, and takes less time than transportation through waterways
• 25,000 people who used ferry services daily to travel from Shariatpur to Dhaka Munshiganj, Narayanganj are now traveling by bus, cars running across the Padma Bridge
• A single passenger bus yields Tk7,500 earnings daily
• 1,500 people have been employed in the sector

The road transport sector in Shariatpur expanded significantly as buses resumed operation on the Dhaka-Shariatpur route after 18 years, following the inauguration of the Padma Bridge on 25 June last year.

Entrepreneurs have invested around Tk200 crore in this sector during the last seven months. Currently, seven companies run 350 passenger buses from 6am to 10pm on different routes to and from the district. Many entrepreneurs have also started rent-a-car businesses recently, said industry insiders.

Besides, traders in Shariatpur have started transporting goods by trucks and pickups as they cost less than transporting goods by waterways. Many businessmen have purchased new trucks and buses for this purpose.

At least 1,500 people have been employed in the sector there, according to the owners of transportation companies.

Previously, buses, trucks, and private cars used to cross the Padma River from Shariatpur to Dhaka by ferry, which took a lot of time. Besides, the ferry services were halted amid inclement weather. As a result, the bus owners stopped operating on the Dhaka-Shariatpur route in 2004. The number of vehicles carrying goods on the route was also very low.

After the Padma Bridge was opened, launch and ferry services on the Shimulia-Banglabazar and Shimulia-Jajira routes were stopped. Around 25,000 people of Shariatpur who used those services daily to travel to Dhaka, Munshiganj, and Narayanganj are now traveling by bus and private cars running across the Padma Bridge.

Parimal Ghosh, a trader in Shariatpur, told The Business Standard, "I am mainly involved in the sweetmeat business, but I decided to start a transport company after the Padma Bridge was launched. I bought two buses and started operating them under a company named Shariatpur Super Service.

"Currently, I am earning Tk15,000-20,000 per day. I have appointed seven people to run the two buses. I am also thinking of deploying another bus when the construction of the Padma Bridge-Shariatpur Road is completed."

Sohail Khan, another businessman in Shariatpur, has recently started a rent-a-car business with two microbuses and a car, providing services across the country. He told TBS, "Currently, transportation is the most profitable business in Shariatpur. Rent-a-car services, as well as the number of buses, trucks, and pickups in the district have increased significantly in the last seven months. All the transport company owners are making handsome profits."

Alamgir Hossain Howladar, general secretary of Shariatpur Truck Workers Union, said, "Traders used to bring goods by trawlers and launch from different places including Moulvibazar, and Chawkbazar, Dhaka to different spots in Shariatpur. They are now bringing goods by trucks and pickups. Many businessmen have bought new trucks and pickups and started renting them."

Faruk Chowkidar, president of the Shariatpur Bus and Minibus Workers' Union, said, "New employment opportunities have been created as the transport sector boomed following the opening of the Padma Bridge. The number of employees and workers in this sector is constantly increasing."

Faruk Ahmed Talukder, president of Shariatpur Bus and Minibus Owners' Group, said, "Shariatpur transport business owners were facing losses for many years. The Padma Bridge put an end to their miseries. Many of them have made a comeback. Many new investors are also coming into the transportation business."