Bus Services Halted on Six Routes in Barishal Over Three-Wheeler Ban Demand, Thousands Suffer
Bus services from Char Kawua Bus Terminal in Barishal Sadar upazila have been halted on six routes in demand of stopping three-wheelers and battery-run auto-rickshaws on the road. Passengers have fallen into suffering as a result.
From Monday morning, workers of the Char Kawua Bus Owners and Workers Union stopped bus services on all routes from this terminal and staged a protest.
From this terminal in Char Kawua union of Barishal Sadar upazila, about 70 buses run on six routes including DC Road, Lakshmipasha, Lahar Hat, Katadia, Holta and Siddik Bazar.
Several thousand passengers travel on these routes every day. With buses halted, many went to their destinations by motorcycle and rickshaw.
Passengers complained that they have to pay extra fare for travel because buses are halted. They also requested the authorities concerned to pay special attention to the issue of bus strikes every few days.
Passenger Sohrab Hawlader said he would go from Barishal to Nehalganj, but with buses halted extra fare was being demanded on alternative transport.
Another passenger, Amena Khatun, said she came out to go to her destination and arrived at Char Kawua Bus Terminal to find bus services halted. She had to pay extra fare to go by an alternative route.
Earlier on Sunday, a dispute broke out among owners of buses, three-wheelers and battery-run auto-rickshaws at Char Kawua Bus Terminal in Barishal Sadar upazila. At that time bus owners and workers raised the demand to stop three-wheelers on the road.
Their claim is that three-wheelers are causing accidents on the road. Alongside, auto-rickshaws run competing with buses, creating a constant risk of accidents. They demanded three-wheelers be removed from the road quickly.
Bus Owners Association president Mamun Khandaker said they tried to run buses from Sunday morning but three-wheeler and auto drivers were obstructing bus movement. They sought the administration's intervention to resolve the issue.
