Long-haul transport grinds to a halt amid blockade, leaving commuters in distress
In Dhaka's Savar and Nabinagar bus terminals, most bus counters remained closed until 11am, with only a few open counters
Though a handful of inter-city vehicles are hitting the roads, long-haul public transport services from the capital to other areas of the country have come to a standstill amid the BNP-Jamaat and its allies' call for the fourth phase of their nationwide blockade.
During a visit to Savar on Sunday, the majority of the ticket counters and terminals of various bus services were found to be closed.
Despite being prepared to operate buses, transport workers said they were unable to start trips due to a lack of passengers.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Meanwhile, normal bus operations were seen on inter-city routes in Hemayetpur, Savar, Nabinagar, and Baipayl.
Passengers at various bus stops in these areas said public transport was running as usual in these areas since morning.
However, as the day progressed, the number of public transport on the roads decreased, said a few passengers.
Rajib, a passenger waiting at Nabinagar Bus Stand around 11am, told The Business Standard, "In the morning, there were quite a good number of buses. Now, it's challenging to find a bus. I am waiting for a bus to Farmgate, and I've been waiting for about 10 minutes.
Shah Alam, another passenger waiting for a bus on the Manikganj route in the C&B area of Savar, said, "I came from Ashulia to Savar for work, and there was regular traffic on the road, especially in Baipayl. Now, I have to wait for a bus to Manikganj, and I have been waiting for about half-an-hour now, but there's no sign of a bus."
Mohammad Sohel, the managing director of Savar Paribahan which operates in the Savar to Sadarghat route, said "All our buses are operating. Despite concerns among owners, we are running buses with caution. However, there aren't many passengers on the road."
Blockade paralyses long-haul transport
In Dhaka's Savar and Nabinagar bus terminals, most bus counters remained closed until 11am, with only a few open counters.
The counters that are open said, like in other times, this time as well, most long-distance passenger buses are not operating during the blockade.
Only 9 out of the 31 counters were found to be opened at the Nabinagar bus terminal.
"No buses of our company have left since morning. The schedule is open, but there are no passengers. Most transportation services are suspended, and those who want to operate buses cannot do so due to a lack of passengers," said Jihad, the counter master for Hanif Enterprise's southern Bengal routes, including Khulna, Barishal, and Kushtia.
Pradip, at the Sunflower Transport counter for the Barishal route, mentioned that he managed to operate one trip in the morning with great difficulty.
"However, it's not possible now. There are no passengers, only 2-4 people. With such a small number of passengers, it's not feasible to operate a bus. It costs around 18,000 to 20,000 taka to run a bus, and there are also arson risks. Without passengers, how can I operate the bus?"
Meanwhile, Sonar Tori Paribahan's counter master, Billal Hossain, states that their buses are currently not in operation.
They might resume operations at night, but there are very few passengers.
"The way buses are being set on fire, how can owners dare to run buses? These buses are very expensive," he added.
Several passengers at the Savar's Nabinagar Bus Terminal expressed their grievances to Business Standard.
Sarowar Hossain Sobuj, waiting for the bus with his wife, said, "I am going to Jashore, but there are no buses available. The counters are open but there are not enough passengers. We have to go somehow.
