A section of bus owners yesterday threatened to suspend indefinitely bus services to 22 southern districts from April 8 protesting extortion at Daulatdia-Paturia Ferry Ghat.
“We will be compelled to shut down bus services, if the authorities concerned fail to end extortion business," said Ali Khobir Chan, president of Bangladesh Bus-Truck Owners Association.
He made the remark at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters' Unity held under the banner of the association, a platform of around 600 bus companies and 500 trucks.
A syndicate comprised of ruling party men, police and officials of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) charges each goods-laden truck Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,500, alleged Chan, also the owner of Druti Paribahan Pvt Ltd.
According to the rule, passenger buses and trucks have to park in separate rows to board the ferries. Violating the rules and parking serials, the syndicate helps trucks to park in front of the bus rows and to board ferries quickly in return for payments, he said.
This irregularity causes huge traffic jam on both sides of the ferry ghat and the buses take double or triple the time than usual to cross the river using ferries, he said adding that this leads to increased bus operating costs including fuel cost and causes heavy sufferings to passengers.
The syndicate conducts extortion business in the name of VIP passage as the vehicles can pass through the passage quickly, he said.
"If the situation continues, it would not be possible for us to operate our vehicles anymore," said Faruk Talukder Sohel, vice president of the association and managing director of Shohagh Paribahan Pvt Ltd.
The communication ministry has already been informed about the nuisance but it is yet to take any step, they said.
The association also placed a seven-point demand to end the irregularities and passengers' sufferings including ending of extortion business, increasing the number of ferries and giving priority for ferrying the buses over trucks.
Romesh Chandra Ghosh, vice president of the association, Mohammad Ershadullah, assistant general secretary, executive members Humayun Kabir and Tahmid Sahed Chayan were present at the press conference.