A Correspondent :
The ongoing countrywide blockade coupled with occasional hartals are taking a heavy toll on the transport businesses in Chittagong, leaving thousands engaged with the sector in dire straits.
During a visit to Dampara Bus Terminal in the city on Monday, it was seen that some buses carrying only a few passengers were leaving roughly every one hour. “We are going through crisis as the buses do not leave with full capacity.
On a normal day, 40 buses would leave the Dampara Bus Terminal a day
However, during the blockade, 15 buses are leaving for various destinations,” said Raihan, a ticket seller of Shyamoli Paribahan. “Our ticket sale has declined sharply as the government has imposed restriction on plying passenger buses after 9pm.
Many long-route passengers prefer to travel at night after 9pm,” lamented the ticket seller, adding that their buses were leaving with 20 passengers on average, against 36 seats.
According to Inter-District Bus Owners’ Association, on a regular day, around 500-600 inter-district buses carrying around 25 thousand passengers leave and enter the port city. However, the number has now come down to a meagre 70-80.
While talking to journalists , Kafil Uddin Ahmed, General Secretary of Inter-District Bus Owners’ Association, said the transport operators were going through a tough time as people are now in a state of panic over the prevailing restive political situation.
“We are facing a disaster and have our backs against the wall. Everyday we are incurring losses of about Tk 2-3 crore due to the ongoing political unrest,” said the transport leader.
“Around 90 per cent inter-district buses are staying off the streets due to the non-availability of the passengers. The ongoing arson attacks on public buses are scaring passengers away,” added Kafil Uddin.
“The transport sector of greater Chittagong, which employs around one lakh people, is the worst-hit due to the political turmoil, hartal and blockade” said Mrinal Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation (East Zone).
“The transport workers are becoming victims of arson attack every day. The situation has worsened to such an extent that the transport workers now prefer joblessness and starvation instead of taking risk on their lives. Also in 2013, as many as 56 transport workers were killed during the countrywide political
The ongoing countrywide blockade coupled with occasional hartals are taking a heavy toll on the transport businesses in Chittagong, leaving thousands engaged with the sector in dire straits.
During a visit to Dampara Bus Terminal in the city on Monday, it was seen that some buses carrying only a few passengers were leaving roughly every one hour. “We are going through crisis as the buses do not leave with full capacity.
On a normal day, 40 buses would leave the Dampara Bus Terminal a day
However, during the blockade, 15 buses are leaving for various destinations,” said Raihan, a ticket seller of Shyamoli Paribahan. “Our ticket sale has declined sharply as the government has imposed restriction on plying passenger buses after 9pm.
Many long-route passengers prefer to travel at night after 9pm,” lamented the ticket seller, adding that their buses were leaving with 20 passengers on average, against 36 seats.
According to Inter-District Bus Owners’ Association, on a regular day, around 500-600 inter-district buses carrying around 25 thousand passengers leave and enter the port city. However, the number has now come down to a meagre 70-80.
While talking to journalists , Kafil Uddin Ahmed, General Secretary of Inter-District Bus Owners’ Association, said the transport operators were going through a tough time as people are now in a state of panic over the prevailing restive political situation.
“We are facing a disaster and have our backs against the wall. Everyday we are incurring losses of about Tk 2-3 crore due to the ongoing political unrest,” said the transport leader.
“Around 90 per cent inter-district buses are staying off the streets due to the non-availability of the passengers. The ongoing arson attacks on public buses are scaring passengers away,” added Kafil Uddin.
“The transport sector of greater Chittagong, which employs around one lakh people, is the worst-hit due to the political turmoil, hartal and blockade” said Mrinal Chowdhury, president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation (East Zone).
“The transport workers are becoming victims of arson attack every day. The situation has worsened to such an extent that the transport workers now prefer joblessness and starvation instead of taking risk on their lives. Also in 2013, as many as 56 transport workers were killed during the countrywide political
