Immense suffering for lack of public transport

• Truck owners and drivers enforced nationwide strike
• Their 9-point demand include amendment to Road Transport Act 2018
• Workers leaders will meet Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan over the issue
• Workers of buses are also staging protest with same demand

The decreased number of public transport in the capital on Wednesday has caused immense suffering to the commuters.

Due to the ongoing protest against the new transportation law, in Tongi's Kamarpara and Demra area, a large number of buses could not enter the capital and had to wait for long hours. 

Andaleeb Ahmed, a commuter in Dhanmondi area said that he could see only three buses within the 20 minutes he had been waiting for his desired bus. "No buses are operating on the Mirpur road, but I have seen plenty of private cars on the road," he said.

Daily commuters waiting for transport but due to lack of public transport. Photo: Saikat Bhadra

Sumi Akter another commuter in Khilkhet road said that she could only see a few BRTC buses on Farmgate-Uttara road. "I could manage a seat in a BRTC bus after several attempts, I have seen hundreds of commuters going to their destination on foot in Khilkhet area," she added.

"Public buses are plying through Mohakhali area, but the drivers of intercity buses do not want to run the buses," said Sudhir Chandra, assistant commissioner of Mohakhali Traffic zone.

A few number of intercity buses left the gabtali bus stand since Wednesday morning.

"Road isn't blocked but the number of buses are plying on Gabtoli-Savar-Manikganj route is very poor," said Jahid Khan, senior assistant commissioner of Darus Salam traffic zone.

"The same condition is on Gabtoli-Motijheel and Gabtoli-Mirpur-Uttara road,"  he added.

Following the new Road Transport Act, 2018, Bangladesh Road Transport authority is conducting three several mobile courts in capital's Farmgate, Uttara and Mirpur area.