Homebound passengers block Savar road over alleged fare hikes

Homebound passengers blocked the Nabinagar-Chandra road in the Baipail area of Savar this morning (10 February) for over an hour, alleging that the bus operators were charging extra fares.

People waiting for buses in the Baipail area said that, ahead of the 13th general election and the July Charter referendum scheduled for 12 February, workers and employees of various industrial establishments have been enjoying holidays starting today. 

Many workers gathered at different bus terminals today to travel to their home villages during the holidays.

They alleged that due to a shortage of buses compared to passenger demand, they had to wait for long periods. 

Taking advantage of the situation, bus operators allegedly charged extra fares.

Protesting this, the passengers blocked the road in the morning.

Passengers withdrew their blockade after about one and a half hours following assurances from Ashulia police.

Ashulia Police Station OC Rubel Hawladar said that after listening to the passengers' complaints and assuring them of necessary measures, the protesters withdrew from the road. "Traffic is now normal," he added.

A garment worker, Abul Kalam Sohag, who was travelling to Naogaon to cast his vote, said, "The fare used to be Tk500, but now they are asking for more than Tk1,000."

Another passenger, Md Mukhles, heading to Jamalpur, said, "I want to go to my village home in Jamalpur. The fare was Tk300, but now they are demanding Tk1,000. We want a solution to this problem."

Savar Highway Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Sheikh Shahjahan said that as factory holidays have begun, a large number of workers arrived at the bus stands together. 

"The number of buses on the road is comparatively low. Due to heavy passenger pressure at the Baipail bus stand, many people stood on the roadway, causing some slowdown in traffic," he said.