Owners resume bus services; passengers low

Transport owners began plying buses on the streets from this morning, what they have kept halted since the student agitation in Dhaka last week.

After last night’s decision to resume services, both long-haul and intra-city buses were plying in the capital.

Buses are running inside city and as well as on the long routes, Ramesh Chandra Ghosh, managing director of Shyamoli Paribahan, told The Daily Star this morning.

Passengers buying tickets at the Gabtoli bus terminal on August 6, 2018. Photo; Palash Khan

However, according to him, the passenger count was markedly low.

On the other hand, buses within city were very few, Mahbubur Rahman, organising secretary of Dhaka Road Transport Owners' Association, told The Daily Star.

“We told all operators to resume services, but due to several days of halt, many bus owners and drivers went to their village homes. Also, many are not taking out their buses for fitness issues,” Mahbub said. 

Transport owners had cited “insecurity” to halt transport services during the student agitation in Dhaka. It was an unannounced strike that put thousands to suffer.

It is to be noted that the students had come down to the streets to protest the death of two students, who fell victim to reckless driving, on Airport Road July 29.

The protests have continued throughout the week. Several buses were vandalised and some were set fire to in fury. However, road crashes continued to kill people during this time.

In the latest development, police and alleged supporters of the ruling party flattened the students with brute force for two consecutive days at Jhigatola.

The last was yesterday, when masses of university students were mauled mercilessly.