Most buses remain parked at Dhaka terminals fearing harassment by strikers

Inter-district bus services came to a halt as transport workers decided to keep their vehicles parked at Mohakhali bus terminal in Dhaka today fearing harassment by their fellow workers who are protesting enforcement of the Road Transport Ac-2018.

“Many vehicles have been ransacked and at some places drivers were barred from plying their vehicles. That’s why we have decided to stay away from plying buses on the roads,” Mizanur Rahman, a staff of Ena Paribahan, told The Daily Star.

The transport service may resume later in the day, Mizan said while talking to The Daily Star.

Also, bus tickets were sold at much higher prices at the ticket counters of the terminal, a passenger alleged while talking to our staff correspondent who visited the terminal in the afternoon.

A huge number of passengers were seen waiting at the bus terminal.

On the other hand, a very few buses left Gabtoli terminal today but the scenario was similar to Mohakhali terminal, said a staff of AK travels, which runs mostly on Khulna and Satkhira routes.

Commuters in different parts of the country have been facing immense sufferings for the fourth consecutive day today following the work abstention being observed by a section of transport owners and workers demanding amendments to the new Road Transport Act-2018.

After the law was enforced on November 18, the drivers said they feel unsafe as many of them have no valid documents.  

The new law, with increased fines for traffic offences, was supposed to be put into effect on November 1. But it was delayed as transport associations had allegedly been lobbying against it.

Although central leaders of transport owners and workers associations said they did not instruct their units to go for the strike, many workers have been observing work abstention since November 18.