An indefinite transport strike, enforced by transport owners and workers, paralysed the road communication network in different parts of the country on Tuesday. Although central leaders of transport owners and workers associations said they did not instruct their units to go for the strike, but many workers, however, observed work abstention.
People’s sufferings mounted as the transport owners and workers went on strike from Monday in different southwestern districts of Khulna division from Monday morning protesting against implementation of the Road Transport Act. Besides, on Tuesday Bangladesh Truck Covered-van Goods Transport Owners Workers Unity Council called an indefinite strike across the country from today (Wednesday).
The much talked-about Act came into effect from November 1. The Road Transport and Bridges Ministry had announced the decision through a notification on October 22.
According to Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a passenger welfare platform, around 29,315 people were killed and 69,428 people injured in road accidents at different places across the country between 2018 and 2015. The key reason behind these fatal road crashes are due to reckless driving and unethical overtaking mentality of the drivers. As the transport strike has been continuing in different districts for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, it caused immense sufferings to the commuters.
They enforced the indefinite strike, defying Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader’s call for them to refrain from such programmes centring implementation of the new transport law. Transport workers in Khulna, Satkhira, Jhenidah, Narail, Kushtia, Meherpur, Jashore, Bhuapur upazila of Tangail and Rajshahi went for the strike Monday, demanding changes in several sections of the Act.
Besides, transport workers in different districts of Barishal division and Mymensingh and Madaripur districts also enforced indefinite strike. No public transports and long-distance buses and coaches were seen plying on different routs of those districts. The long-distance transports, including buses, coaches and minibuses stayed off the roads since morning in response to the strike, causing immense sufferings to commuters.
As buses and coaches lying idle at bus terminals in those districts, a large number of people were forced to use alternative transportation to reach their respective destinations. The 'Road Transport Bill-2018' was passed by parliament on September 19, 2018, keeping a provision of maximum five years' jail for any death or serious injuries caused by reckless or negligent driving. The new law, with increased fines for traffic offences, was supposed to be put into effect on November 1. However, it was delayed as transport associations had allegedly been lobbying against it.
The agitated drivers said, under the new law, drivers have to take responsibility for the accident. Drivers do not kill anyone. Even, yet they will be punished. This law is not possible to obey. Farid Hossain Sardar, General Secretary of the Barisal District Road Transport Workers Union said, “There was a meeting centrally on October 22. However, before that the workers stopped the bus service on the internal route.”
Mizanur Rahman, General Secretary of the District Workers Union, said that the workers had stopped the bus movement in protest of the implementation of the new road transport law. Meanwhile, transport workers lifted a blockade on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway at Maona Chowrasta in Sreepur upazila of Gazipur.
Workers staged a protest on Tuesday (November 19) at 8am to block the Mauna intersection demanding the repeal of the new road transport law. At 11am, they withdrew the blockade. Sreepur police station and Mauna Highway police reached the spot and spoke to the workers and asked them to lift the blockade.
