RU transport services not up to the mark

The existing transport services at Rajshahi University (RU) are unable to meet the necessities of the students, it is alleged.

According to the university's public relations administrator, Professor Dr Md Akhtar Hossain Mazumder, the university has now about 26,000 students who are suffering every day due to the limited number of buses and minibuses for transportation.

As a result, students' dissatisfaction with the university bus service has reached its peak. Every morning and afternoon, students have to wait for a long time to catch the city-bound bus from the university. Even when the bus arrives, it is overcrowded, as a result of which many are forced to use rented auto-rickshaws or other means of transport, unable to board the bus.

Timetables are not followed; one has to wait taking an unbearably long time. Students complain that although the timetable set by the transport department is on paper, it is not followed in reality. Many times the buses arrive late at the specified stop, and then suddenly one or more buses arrive at the same time. On the one hand, this creates a rush of passengers, on the other hand, many do not get the bus even after waiting for a long time.

According to university sources, the buses used to run on eight trips. Now, there are only four trips on 14 routes. Along with this, the number of buses has also decreased now- from 39 to 30. However, due to the lack of required number of drivers, only 26 buses are running on these routes. As a result, students are suffering and time is also being wasted. It was found that the number of trips of the university's 39 buses was eight, compared to 14 routes in 2016. Later, three trips were reduced to five, and 27 buses were seen running. Later, one more trip was excluded making it four. Meanwhile, due to the government's announcement of fuel savings, two more trips were reduced to two. In the face of student anger, the buses were running four trips after two trips were increased. According to information received from the transport section, the first bus leaves the university bus stand at 8:05 am.

The second route leaves at 1:10 pm, the third route at 4:15 pm, and the fourth route leaves at 5 pm. On the other hand, the buses that leave the campus at 8:05 am leave the campus from the specified stops at 8:35 am. The buses that leave at 1:10 pm leave at 1:30 pm and the buses that leave at 4:15 pm leave for the campus at 4:35 pm. Currently, there are 30 buses operating at the university, with 26 drivers. Due to the shortage of drivers, these buses are running on 14 routes. Students complain that classes of various departments start at around 10 am. Many students come to the university by campus bus at 8:35 am. They have to wait for an hour and a half on the campus to start their classes. Many students also have classes at 11 am. A student pays 360 taka for transportation in a year. But students complain that they are not getting proper transportation facilities.

Students said that due to the lack of sufficient buses during morning and afternoon classes and exams, there is a huge crowd inside the buses. Many students have to travel standing or hanging on to the bus doors. This also poses a risk of accidents.

Lamia Biswas, a third-year student of the Applied Mathematics Department of the university, said, "This situation of traveling in mixed buses is very difficult for girls. The buses are already very crowded, which makes it difficult to get on and off the bus."

Towfique Alahe Shishir, a second-year student of the Marketing Department of the university, said, "We pay regular transportation fees every month. But even then we do not get regular bus facilities. When we have to go out, we often have to spend Tk 50 to Tk 100, which is an additional burden on us."

The students demand a quick solution. They feel that the university authorities should take quick action. If sufficient buses are arranged, the timetable is fixed and services are consistent with the fees, sufferings of students will reduce.

In this regard, the administrator of the transport section, Professor Dr. Md. Abdur Razzak Sarkar, said, "The university's transport service is being run amid losses. The number of buses is very small. It is not possible to cover the entire transport service with these buses."

"Moreover, the number of drivers and bus contactors is also very small. Currently, 86 posts are vacant in the transport service. No recruitment is being done. If the university administration does not appoint them, I have nothing to do. Where there are supposed to be 29 bus contactors, there are only eight," he added.

When asked about the overall issue, the university's Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Saleh Hasan Naqib said, "We have taken initiative in this matter. We understand that students are suffering a lot. We have an allocation for bus service in this year's budget. The Transport Department has already started working on it. Hopefully, we will be able to resolve this issue within this year."

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