Noman Mosharef :
Working class people faced untold sufferings on Monday as authorities halt almost all public transport before a sweeping lockdown imposed to combat a deadly resurgence of Covid-19 infections.
People including office-goers were seen waiting on roads for a long time for rickshaws or motorbikes to reach their destinations.
During the lockdown, all modes of public vehicles except goods-laden ones and rickshaws will be permitted for plying.
Office goers tried to reach their workplaces by using truck, pick-up van. In this chance, the rickshaw-pullers demanded higher price, sometimes 10-20 times higher from the people. The same destination people shared one rickshaw as the expense becomes less.
The ride sharing apps Uber, Patho bike drivers did not follow their apps system as they can be fixed fare by themselves. It also seen people went to office on foot.
Mahbub Hossain’s office at Capital’s Farmgate area and he is living at Gabtoli area. The private company employee said that his office did not give any transport facilities for shortage of employees from Gabtoli area.
On 9.30 am, Mahbub tried to rent a rickshaw and was unable to manage because the rickshaw-puller demanded Tk 250 for Gabtoli to Farmgate.
However, Mahbub started his journey to reach office on foot. Although, Rickshaws and private vehicles were seen dominating the Dhaka streets on the first day of the “limited lockdown.”
Traffic police at different points are stopping vehicles and quizzing drivers and passengers, said Asaduzzaman, traffic inspector of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
On the other hand, employees of different garments in Savar took to the street on Monday morning blocking Dhaka-Aricha highway as the owners did not arrange any transport facilities under their own management during this lockdown.
They were facing troubles this morning to reach their work stations for want of vehicles as the government has suspended all modes of public vehicles till Thursday morning to tackle spread of Covid-19.
The workers have been forced to manage vehicles to reach the work places.
Following the blockade at Radio Colony and CRP area of the highway for an hour, goods-laden vehicles were stranded on the road. On-duty police members, later, managed to remove them from the street.
Meanwhile, no public transport was seen on the highway yesterday morning, except some workers-carrying vehicle.
The employees paid high fare to reach their destination and some of them only on foot.
