Homebound travellers crowd highways, transport falls short in Savar

Homebound travellers flooded key highways in Savar after factory closures yesterday (18 March), facing a shortage of transport and complaints of fare hikes, though no major congestion was reported.

From 1pm, as industrial units in the area began shutting for Eid holidays, the Dhaka-Aricha highway and Nabinagar-Chandra road saw surging crowds at nearly every point.

A stretch of the highway from Hemayetpur to Nabinagar Bypile was packed with travellers, many waiting for transport. Law enforcement personnel – including police, highway police and the army – were deployed across these areas to reduce commuter inconvenience and maintain order.

At several intersections, traffic slowed under pressure, though there were no reports of prolonged congestion or standstill movement.

Many travellers said the number of vehicles was insufficient compared to the surge in demand, leaving families waiting for hours by the roadside. Some also alleged that buses on long-distance routes were charging extra fares amid the rush.

Observations from different points along the highway showed that, under pressure from long-distance passengers, many buses were operating direct trips to destinations such as Aricha and beyond, without picking up additional passengers along the way.

Counter officials said tickets for most routes – including those bound for northern and southern districts – had been sold out one to two days in advance, leaving little to offer travellers yesterday. Only a handful of additional trips allowed limited ticket sales.

A traveller, Sultan Mahmud, who was heading to his village home in Rangpur with his family, said he could not get tickets at the counters and had been waiting on the roadside for over an hour and a half.

"Normally the fare is Tk400, but now it is being demanded up to Tk1,200," he said.

With buses scarce, some travellers were turning to alternatives. Many were seen boarding open trucks from different points along the road in an attempt to continue their journey home.

Habib, who boarded a truck with his wife and child from near Jahangirnagar University, said he could not find a ticket anywhere.

"Factories have just closed, and this is already the situation. I am forced to make the journey in stages. I am going to Aricha at Tk200 per person, and from there I will somehow manage to reach Rajbari," he said.

Abdur Rob, a counter master for several operators – including Satkhira Line and Golden Line – at Pakiza in Savar, said around 50 trips had departed since morning, and all tickets were sold in advance.

"Only three additional trips were arranged, and we managed to sell a limited number of tickets for those. Most of the passengers arriving now are leaving without tickets," he said.

Zillur Rahman, a counter master of Shyamoli Paribahan, said, "We sold our last tickets on the 10th. Those travelling now had booked in advance. There are no tickets left."

Counter officials, however, maintained that ticket sales had been conducted in line with the approved schedule.

Contacted, Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime, Ops and Traffic) of Dhaka district Arafatul Islam told The Business Standard that while there was no congestion anywhere, traffic had slowed at certain points due to pressure from passengers.

"The number of vehicles on the road is low compared to the volume of travellers, which is causing slower movement in some areas. There is also some slowdown around the Bypile area due to road conditions. However, no disorder or traffic jam has formed so far," he said.

He added that district and highway police, along with plainclothes officers, district administration officials and mobile courts, were working regularly across key points to maintain order and take immediate action against complaints, including overcharging of fares.

On passengers travelling in open trucks, Ruhul Amin Sohel, inspector (administration) of Dhaka district north traffic police, said, "We are making announcements at different points to discourage people from taking such risks, but many are still getting on. If we identify cases that pose serious danger, we are taking action against those vehicles."

Describing the overall Eid travel situation as normal, he said the pressure was expected and could increase further.

"There is no traffic congestion anywhere, and complaints of extra fares are being addressed immediately," he added.