Buses at half capacity: Transport lobby prevails again
The government has taken 180 turn on its directive regarding buses running at half capacity to curb Covid-19 transmission, bending again to the pressure from transport workers and owners.
Buses were supposed to carry only half the people against the number of seats from Saturday but transport operators disregarded the decision saying they got "verbal directives" from the authorities concerned to run buses at full capacity.
Yesterday, 6,676 new Covid infections were recorded, an indication that another wave is heading this way.
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) on Sunday informed the transport associations in writing about the government changing its mind, but did not make it public until last night.
Including this case of bowing to pressure, the government in the last 30 days has made at least three decisions according to the demands of transport associations, mostly led by influential people linked to political parties, including the ruling Awami League.
Last week, the authorities, following pressure, waived the fines for vehicle owners and drivers who failed to renew their documents on time.
On December 19, the government once again relaxed the experience requirements for obtaining driving licences for heavy and medium vehicles.
These associations had even forced the government to delay the enactment and enforcement of the Road Transport Act-2018. Some of its sections are still not being enforced due to pressure from transport owners and workers.
Meanwhile, launch operators set sail at full capacity after getting "verbal directives" from Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA).
Only trains, run alone by the government, are running at half capacity while maintaining health safety measures.
THE 180 TURN
On January 10, the cabinet division issued an 11-point directive, including one that says all public transport must operate at half capacity to curb Covid-19 transmission.
The division empowered agencies concerned to fix implementation dates.
On Wednesday, transport leaders at a meeting with the BRTA demanded that the government change its mind and allow them to run at full capacity.
However, the BRTA that day issued an order saying that all buses, minibuses would have to run at half capacity from Saturday.
The circular is still there on its website but there is none cancelling the decision.
Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association (DRTOA) the following day told its members to run their vehicles at full capacity, saying the ministry concerned had "verbally" informed them that the government would allow them to do so.
Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners' Association, another association of bus owners who run inter-district buses, also gave similar verbal directives to its members.
BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder yesterday said they received a "verbal decision" from authorities concerned regarding running buses at full capacity.
"And we notified the decision to transport associations in writing," he told The Daily Star.
Khandaker Enayet Ullah, general secretary of DRTOA, said he received the written order on Sunday. He, however, denied that the government changed its mind due to pressure from them.
"There would have been a crisis of public transport had they slashed the capacity of buses when everything else [businesses and workplaces] is open.
"We raised the matter. The government understood our point and changed its decision accordingly," he told this correspondent yesterday.
Meanwhile, BIWTA Chairman Commodore Golam Sadeq said they, through the shipping ministry, had written to the Cabinet Division to change its decision on running launches at half capacity "considering everything".
"But we did not get any decision yet," he told The Daily Star yesterday.
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