Staff Reporter :
The government allowed public transports to operate until 12:00 pm on Sunday relaxing some restrictions so that the workers can return to their work places safely.
But the number of public transports in the city was few in the morning. However, if long-route buses ran on Sunday, no public transports will be able to operate in the capital from noon onwards.
Secretary General of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association Khandaker Enayet Ullah confirmed this on Sunday noon.
He said though the government allowed the transports to ply till Sunday noon. The long-haul buses are taking time to arrive in the capital. So the highway police said they would show some sympathy for long distance buses.
On the other hand, the BIWTA has extended the operating hours of launches to help workers get back to major cities as factories reopen in the pandemic.
Though it was previously announced that launches would only operate until noon, services have continued past that time, Mizanur Rahman, Deputy Director of the agency, said on Sunday.
Asked how long launch service would continue, he said: “We haven’t decided yet. But, for now, we can say that services will continue until Monday morning. The timing has been extended because of demand from passengers.”
The Bangladesh government announced on Friday that factories would be allowed to reopen on Sunday, despite the coronavirus lockdown. Thousands of workers began making their way to Dhaka following the announcement in an effort to keep their jobs.
As bus, train and launch services were suspended at the time, many struggled to reach Dhaka from remote areas. Some came on foot, while others used rickshaws, autorickshaws, or pick-up vans to reach their workplaces in manufacturing hubs.
After noting these problems throughout Saturday, the government announced that buses and launches would operate until noon on Sunday.
“Earlier the government decided to resume public transport until 12 pm on Aug 1, 2021, so that workers at export-oriented industries and related jobs can return to work at their convenience,” the government said in a notice.
Launches from Chandpur, Shariatpur, Bhola, Muladi and Barguna have been running to the Sadarghat river port in Dhaka since the government’s announcement, said Dinesh Kumar Saha, an inspector for the BIWTA.
