Eid journey: Fewer passengers at Gabtoli, Technical bus terminals

Compared to previous years, there are fewer passengers at the Gabtoli and Technical bus terminals today (5 April), the first day of holiday before Eid-ul-fitr.

Bus counter officials said the inauguration of Padma bridge had sent all the southern passengers to Jatrabari and Gulistan, leaving Gabtoli only for the passengers going to the northern part of the country. 

"As a result, there has been a noticeable decline in passenger numbers at Gabtoli, even during Eid," said Mohammad Ali, who works at the Eagle Paribahan counter. 

Noyon Miya, a counter master at Hanif Paribahan said Kallyanpur sees a higher number of passengers compared to Gabtoli. 

"Kallyanpur has become the main hub for buses going to the northern regions, with some passengers even buying tickets at Gabtoli and then waiting at Kallyanpur for their buses. This shift has left Gabtoli largely empty," he added.

Md Bappi, another countermaster at Hanif, said the number of passengers might increase slightly after the Friday prayers. 

Since the morning, the Technical bus terminal has had more passengers than the Gabtoli bus counter and all the buses left fully loaded. Counter officials, however, are reluctant to describe it as crowded.

"The buses have been crowded since yesterday, and today is no exception, with all vehicles leaving fully loaded. But it wouldn't be accurate to describe the situation as overly crowded as we have increased the number of trips," said Sushil Babu, a counter master of Syamoli NR Paribahan in the Technical terminal.

Khairul Islam, a staff member of Shahjadpur Travels said, "Since 6:30am, every bus has departed fully loaded. We plan to run 22 trips today instead of the usual 14."

Md Tarikul Islam, an electrician from Dinajpur, said he booked his ticket three days in advance. 

"Today, the terminal is neither empty nor too crowded," he said while hoping for a smooth journey.

No crowd in Kallyanpur counters, buses leaving on time

Buses at Kallyanpur are departing on schedule since the morning without experiencing any excessive passenger pressure.

Additionally, the absence of traffic jams on the roads has allowed buses heading to the northern regions to reach their destinations efficiently, enabling faster return trips to Dhaka and increased trip frequencies.

Photo: Foisal Ahmed

Nurun Nabi Hossen, the counter master at Nabil Paribahan in Kollyanpur said, "The buses are reaching their destinations smoothly and returning on time, which has allowed us to run additional trips.

While all bus seats are being filled, he does not consider this to be overcrowding.

"Typically, we operate 50 to 52 trips to the northern regions, but plan to run 62 trips daily during the Eid season, possibly increasing the number if the roads remain clear and demand persists," he added.

He said 18 buses had already departed from Kallyanpur by 1:30pm. 

Tonmoy, the Desh Travel counter master of Kallyanpur said roads to the northern regions are now in excellent condition, and there are no significant tailbacks yet

"This made possible quick round trips for the buses," he added.

Noting that 13 buses had left for the northern districts by 1:30pm, he said they plan to run 30 trips daily during Eid.

"While some seats on air-conditioned buses may remain unoccupied, all seats on non-air-conditioned buses are expected to be filled until Eid," said Tonmoy.

Saidur Rahman, an AUST student going to Chapainawabganj, usually travels by train but switched to bus travel due to the unavailability of train seats.

"We usually experience tailbacks after crossing Sirajganj," he said, expressing hope for a smooth journey if that area remains clear.

Passengers are still getting tickets at bus counters

Even without advance tickets, some passengers are arriving today and managing to secure tickets due to an increase in the number of trips, said Sushil Babu, a counter master of Syamoli NR Parihaban, 

Sopna Akter, a student from Naogaon, shared the sudden decision she made last night to travel home for Eid. 

"After arriving at the technical bus terminal today, I was fortunate to find the last ticket available at Shyamoli Paribahan," she said.

When asked about the fare, she confirmed it was at the government-regulated rate. Although she was suggested to pay an Eid tip, she did not.