Bleak outlook of Eid ticket sale on opening day

Long-haul bus owners had a miserable day today in the first day of advance ticket sale for the homegoing journey ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

They are saying they had less than half the sales in comparison to other years, blaming the general public concern over road and traffic condition.

According to report from the field, the bus counters through Shyamoli, Kalyanpur and Gabtoli were mostly empty apart from a little rush from 8:00am to 9:00am.

Sanwar Hossian, counter master of Hanif Paribahan, told The Daily Star he sold around 30 per cent tickets until 12noon. “In the previous years, the sales were double.”

Similar complaints were obtained from the other long-haul bus counters.

As a reason, Sanwar speculated that “the passengers might be worried about the road condition and the traffic it might cause; and will be choosing train journey instead”.

Karimul Islam, an employee of a private organisation living in Badda, told The Daily Star that he has been visiting his home town Naogaon during Eid for the last 13 years.

“I have never seen the counters this empty on the opening day of bus ticket sale,” he said.

There is a general concern about the road condition, which passengers fear will cause an agonising traffic on the highways during the rush season of Eid.

Even a passenger welfare forum, Jatri Kalyan Samiti, today said that 40 per cent roads and highways are in deplorable state – fueling concerns of highway woes among the commuters.

However, the Road Transport and Highway Division remains adamant and says that the condition of these roads and highways are now in a better condition.