A rough day for Laguna passengers

After Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) chief's announcement of banning Lagunas on the major roads, the regular users yesterday underwent immense sufferings across the city, which virtually does not have a proper public transport system.

Visiting Jigatola, Sankar, Asad Gate, Mohammadpur, Farmgate and Manik Mia Avenue areas, it was seen that people were walking or waiting for buses to go back home after work because there were no Lagunas, which they used to depend on.

For the regular Laguna passengers, it came as a shock.

“Today I was one hour late for work because there was no Laguna,” said Mrinal Azim, a private firm employee, while talking to this correspondent at Farmgate where he was waiting for a transport to return to his residence at Mohammadpur. “Now I've been waiting for more than half an hour but still there is no Laguna,” he said, before starting to walk.   

Lagunas suddenly going off the road was also a setback for Mohammad Nafis, a Mohammadpur resident who tutors a student at Monipuri Para of Farmgate.

“Laguna was the most convenient transport for me to travel from Asad Gate to Monipuri Para. But now it has become difficult for me,” he said.

Because of the crisis, people had to go for rickshaws or buses, but those were not available as well, and most of them remain packed.

Female passengers are the worst victims. They cannot usually board the bus because of overcrowding, and even if they want to, the drivers often refuse to take them in.

“It is very difficult to get into a bus jostling with the crowd. Whenever a bus arrives, all those waiting rush towards it elbowing each other. Being a woman, it is nearly impossible for me to do that. In this sense, Laguna was better,” said Nafisa Akhter, who took a rickshaw from Jigatola to Farmgate.

Nishi Jaman, a resident of Sankar, said, “From Sankar to Farmgate there is no direct public bus service, except for the Lagunas. Sometimes rickshaw-pullers decline to go.”

Lagunas, however, were seen on a few roads. From Purba Tejturi Bazar of Tejgaon to Niketan of Gulshan 1, the vehicles were available. Some were also seen on the road from Dhanmondi-2 to New Market.

Regarding the ban on Lagunas, Md Soruzzaman, a duty officer of Tejgaon police post, said, “The roads are free now from overcrowding because there are no Lagunas. Usually Laguna drivers don't have licences, and in most cases, children drive the vehicles. So, they should be off the streets.”

There are a total of 5,156 registered human hauliers or Lagunas in the city, according to Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA).

During a press conference on Tuesday, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia said Lagunas will not ply the major city roads, but they are allowed on the feeder roads.

BUS DRIVERS DEFY DIRECTIVE

At the press conference it was also informed that DMP has designated 121 bus stops. Buses have to take or drop passengers at those places, and they have to keep their doors shut till the next stop.

However, the directive was not obeyed on many routes including Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue and Newmarket to Mirpur road where buses did not stop at the designated places and many of them kept their doors open.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Autorickshaw-Auto-Tempo Transport Workers Federation (BAATWF) issued a press release protesting the ban on Lagunas. They claimed in the release that BRTA gave registration to more than 4,000 Lagunas and the Regional Transport Committee (RTC) gave route permits for the vehicles on 159 routes.