Amdadul Haque
Public transportation across the country is in serious disorder with clashes ensuing between passengers and transport workers over fares as well as violations of physical distancing.
A competition to break the rules of hygiene has also started gradually in passenger buses, causing a lot of anger among the passengers. Passengers inside the bus pass comments at one another while the transport sector is slowly competing to break the hygiene rules. Passengers also got on buses without maintaining social distancing.
Experts said that public buses and passenger-laden launches could become epicenters of coronavirus proliferation if the transport workers and passengers continued to ignore the health regulations, especially social distancing.
According to sources, in other divisional cities, the idea of maintaining social distancing was being totally ignored while passengers also alleged that they were paying higher fares.
There were also allegations that the long-route buses were collecting higher fares than the government-fixed rates of 60 per cent extra.
However, after being closed for more than two months, extreme chaos has also started in the capital less than 4 days following resumption of movement of public transports. Hygiene rules are not being obeyed. Additional fares are being collected from the passengers.
Though half of the passengers were supposed to be carried, all the seats are filled up with passengers. As a result, 60 per cent extra fare of public transport has now become a thorn. Passengers have fallen hostage to transport owners, drivers and workers.
Moving around different areas of the capital, the Bangladesh Post correspondent found traffic pressure was less on the road for the first three days, but people who went out on Thursday had to get stuck in traffic. Long traffic jams were observed at Mohakhali, Bijoy Sarani, Farmgate, Kawran Bazar, Banglamotor, Mogbazar and Paltan.
Talking to people, it was learned that the bus fare is being collected arbitrarily. Passengers have complained that even though the government has increased fares by 60 per cent, the bus helpers take more than 100 per cent.
Passengers in a bus urged the government to immediately impose an effective nationwide lockdown, except for emergency services, to fight against the coronavirus panel .
Besides, some passengers urged the government to shut public transports, including inter-district buses while criticizing the recent 60 per cent fare hike in public transports.
They asked the government to ensure food and financial assistance for needy people, who became unemployed during the pandemic and lockdown across the country.
They also emphasized increasing the number of sample testing to detect coronavirus infection across the country, increasing healthcare facilities for people, and taking necessary steps to set up labs and necessary facilities in public universities.
Ashraful Islam, an employee of a private bank at Karwan Bazar said that the fare from Mirpur to Karwan Bazar was taka 15, but he had to pay taka 30. At Shahbagh, Safiqul Islam said the fare from Mohammadpur to Gulistan was taka 18, but he had to pay taka 35. Most passengers have complained of double fares.
On the other hand, some buses were seen carrying half of the passengers, but most of the buses were jam packed with passengers. Most of the helpers did not carry any sanitizers.
Abdur Rahim, a helper for Balaka Transport, said the owner did not give them sanitizers. Many passengers have complained that not only private and public transports, but also government BRTC buses are charging extra fares.
The passengers were talking to each other- the fare has increased, it will not decrease any more. According to them, in this country, once the price goes up, it never goes down.
They were talking-- the government has increased the fare of public transport to comply with the health rules. But it is unimaginable that the transport sector will follow these hygiene rules. Rather they are slowly breaking the hygiene rules. But no one can say anything.
Transport expert and former executive director of the then Dhaka Transport Coordination Board, SM Salehuddin told Bangladesh Post that it would be difficult in the existing socio-cultural perspective of the country to make the transport workers and passengers maintain social distancing and follow other health regulations on buses.
Meanwhile, two people died after being run over by a bus in the capital. The vehicle, operated by Bihongo Paribahan, rammed the pedestrians at the Bangla Motor intersection around 12 pm Thursday, according to police.
Assistant Commissioner, Javed Iqbal told the media that police confiscated the bus and arrested its driver.
However, while addressing a video conference, the road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said that they received allegations that the health regulations were not being followed in public transports. Allegations of charging extra fares were found against some long-route and city service buses.
The road transport minister urged the local authorities to increase administrative surveillance and urged the passengers to be more aware of the health regulations.
‘If the transport workers still charge extra fares, it will be considered a punishable offence,’ Obaidul Quader added.
Meanwhile, passengers on launches at Sadarghat terminal were seen sitting on decks and even in front of the cabins on some launches without maintaining social distancing rules. They were on their way to Lakshmipur, Char Fashion, Bekua, Hatia and Bhola.
According to sources, at the Shimulia ferry terminal in Munshiganj, staff members of the launch services were seen adhering to the government health guidelines – disinfecting passengers, maintaining social distancing. But not the same could be said about Kathalbari terminal in Madaripur, where launches were overcrowded, with no regards for social distancing.
BIWTA sources said vessels are being operated on 34 river routes across the country. Hundreds of passengers and transport operators are showing reluctance to follow the government’s directives on maintaining social distancing and health guidelines and plying overcrowded vessels to cover the losses they faced during the shutdown.
Launch owners apparently did not take any step to ensure social distancing and are busy taking advantage of the huge rush of passengers after a two-month shutdown aimed at containing the coronavirus outbreak.
Some passengers said they are worried about their well-being as launch operators are taking in too many people, ignoring the risk of coronavirus infection. Passengers said launch owners are collecting extra fares from them.
The assistant director of Bhola BIWTA, Kamruzzaman told Bangladesh Post that legal steps will be taken against launch owners who were found violating the rules.
