Staff Reporter :
Although the government has conditionally opened all categories of transports ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Azha, the hygiene rules are not being followed at all. At the same time, ignoring the instructions, most of the vehicles and launches are charging 100 per cent more fare instead of 60 per cent from the passengers.
This information was presented in a joint press release organised by the non-governmental organisation Green Club of Bangladesh (GCB) and the National Committee for the Protection of Shipping, Roads and Railways on Saturday.
According to the report, these organisations visited the city’s Gabtali, Mohakhali, Fulbaria (Gulistan), Kamalapur Titipara, Sayedabad, Malibagh bus terminals, Kamalapur Railway Station, Sadarghat Launch Terminal and Shimulia, Paturia ferry ghats.
It has been learned that hygiene was not being observed anywhere except Kamalapur Railway Station.
Even the minimum physical distance was not maintained; Even a large portion of passengers are not wearing masks and using sanitisers. All the buses were carrying passengers with full capacity. Passengers were also seen on the deck and roof of the launch.
According to their observation, a number of luxury launches operating southwest from Dhaka’s Sadarghat terminal are not charging extra fare from the passengers despite health violations.
According to the report, earlier the government imposed strict conditions on transport owners to carry passengers half of the capacity, giving them the opportunity to increase fares by 60 per cent to maintain the physical distance of passengers to avoid infection.
But violating the government condition, most of the buses and launches are charging 100 per cent extra fare instead of 60 per cent.
On the other hand, passengers were carried in small launches and ferries on the Shimulia-Banglabazar and Paturia-Daulatdia waterways. However, some luxury launches cruising from Sadarghat are not charging extra fare, report says.
Meanwhile, Gabtali bus counters were not crowded with homebound passengers. In other years, before Eid, the Gabtoli bus stand was over crowded with homebound people, but this time the picture is different.
Even though the passenger pressure was less, there were allegations of charging extra fare on the counters.
Ashish Kumar Dey, General Secretary of the Green Club of Bangladesh (GCB), said that law enforcement agencies are active everywhere. But after a long period of lockdown, all categories of vehicles have started moving and people are running home ahead of Eid.
Besides, our country does not have the capacity to transport a large number of people in a short period of time. Due to these reasons, it is very difficult for the law enforcement agencies to handle the situation. Besides, even during normal times, people who go home before Eid have several times more pressure.
However, he said the administration should be strict to stop charging extra fare and ensure the use of masks and sanitisers, he added.
The government has relaxed the ongoing lockdown for eight days from July 14 midnight to 6.00am on July 23 Thursday to celebrate the holy Eid-ul-Azha.
Eid-ul-Azha will be held on July 21. The lockdown will start again from July 23.
