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Commuters’ sufferings have gone through the roof as a countrywide 48-hour transport strike, enforced by Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, started at 6:00am on Sunday.
Rickshaws and motorcycles became the main means of transport for the day as there were few other vehicles available.
In some areas, transport workers prevented two and three wheelers, let alone other vehicles, from plying along roads, forcing them to take lanes and by-lanes.
Taking advantage of the transport crisis, manual, battery-run rickshaws, CNG-run autorickshaws and ridesharing motorcycles fleeced the passengers.
Focus Bangla photo
As there was no other alternative, passengers had to give in to the unfair demand.
Staff of The Financial Express shared how and what they suffered and saw others experiencing the same on the way to the office today.
Sub-Editor Md Ziaur Rahman, who lives at Mouchak under Siddhirganj upazila in Narayanganj, said, “I took a rickshaw to Signboard from Mouchak for Tk 30, which is Tk 20 for any other day, at 8:30 am.
“As there was no vehicle available there, I approached a rickshaw puller who agreed to carry two persons, including me, to Jatrabari for Tk 300.
“On the way, I saw hundreds of people standing beside the road to reach their destinations and many of them walking to their destinations.
“There were hardly any vehicle except for motorcycles and rickshaws and for that, there was a huge traffic jam under the Mayor Hanif Flyover from its eastern end to Jatrabarhi crossing.
“It took more than one hour to reach Jatrabarhi crossing and I saw a BRTC bus overcrowded and failed to board it. Meanwhile, I saw another BRTC bus nearby being prevented by some transport workers from leaving there.
“After moving some yards ahead, I saw some more transport workers chasing vehicles and they caught one motorcycle and forced a pillion passenger off the bike and let it go.
“However, after plying some yards ahead, the motorcycle stopped and the passenger ran to it and then they rode away.
“Hundreds of people were walking along the road finding no vehicle there. Even it was a matter of luck to get a rickshaw.
"After taking a side road, I approached a motorcyclist, who is said to be a Pathao rider. I asked him how much he would take to ride me to Paltan.
"Meanwhile, some transport workers warned him against riding any passenger saying that it would warrant trouble for him.
"Then I moved ahead and found a rickshaw and its puller agreed to ride me to my office at Puran Paltan for Tk 150."
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Sub-Editor Nafisa Nowrin said, “I saw a limited number of human haulers/ leguna on the road and so had to take a rickshaw ride to reach Mohammadpur Bus Stand from my home in the area.
“No public transports were seen moving at the Mohammadpur BRTC bus stand. There was not even a BRTC bus.
“I asked so many rickshaw pullers and CNG drivers and they demanded double or triple the cost of the usual fare.
“Drivers of Uber, Pathao suddenly increased their fare, taking advantage of the situation and started asking people to ride on contract
“As a result, I made a group of three or two with unknown people who were looking for rickshaws and CNG-run autorickshaws but did not find a single CNG driver who agreed to ride us together to Puran Paltan.
“Frustrated, I started asking CNG-run autorickshaws by myself, and though one driver agreed, he demanded Tk 500. For any normal day, they charge Tk 150 to 200.
“After an hour of waiting, I called my father who was at home. I asked for his help and finally reached office after one and a half hour.
Describing a messy situation on each and every road, she said, "There was gridlock on one side of most of the major roads of Panthapoth, karwan bazaar, Moghbazar and Kakrail.
“When I ride pillion with my father, usually it takes maximum 20-30 minutes to reach Paltan from Mohammadpur even during moderate traffic on the road. But it took one and a half hour today."
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Sub-Editor Md Shanawaz Khan, who lives on Green Road in the city, said, "The streets were clogged and people were all over the streets. People were helplessly waiting for a transport in order to arrive at their destination.
"No busses were seen in the streets due to the ongoing transportation strike countrywide. It was an utter difficultly for all the public transport users.
"However, as I commute on my motorbike it was like any other day for me. I reached office after facing numerous signals and usual traffic. It did not take time more than usual to reach office today.
"On the way, however, I saw people requesting others in private vehicles for a drop at their destination.
In the capital, no inter-district buses left Gabtoli, Mohakhali or Sayedabad terminals in the morning.
The government-run Bangladesh Road Transport Commission (BRTC) bus service is the only public transport option available throughout the city.
Traffic Inspector Asad from Abdullahpur area in the capital said that there is no public transport on the roads since morning.
The number of private vehicles is also limited. People are travelling on rickshaws to reach their destination.
Basu Deb, who works at a private company and resides in Mirpur’s Purobi area, said that he had to stand on the road for a public bus from 6:00 am to go Motijheel, but no vehicle was there.
“Later, I had to hire a rickshaw for office,” he added.
Reports from different districts say that no long-route buses left respective bus stands following the strike.
A day before, the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation called the strike to press home their eight-point demand that includes:
>> Making all road accident offences 'bailable'
>>Cancellation of the provision of fining Tk 500,000 for involvement in a road accident
>>Keeping a representative from their federation in any probe body formed for road accidents
>>Fixing minimum educational qualification for getting driving licence to class-V
>>Stopping police harassment on roads.
Earlier on October 12, the workers' association, decided to launch demonstrations by going on a two-day work abstention from October 28 if their demands are not met by October 27.
With inputs from UNB news agency