Rain adds to the woes of office-goers in capital
Rickshaw pullers are charging three to four times more than usual, say office-bound passengers
Rain throughout Tuesday morning has added to the suffering of office-goers in the capital amid the lockdown imposed to stem Covid-19 infection.
Due to a lack of transportation on the streets, most commuters had to wait or haggle over fares with rickshaw-pullers to reach their workplaces.
Rickshaw pullers also charged three to four times more fare in the rain than on other days, claimed office-bound passengers.
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Tanzia Saja, a Shwapno Super Shop employee, said after a long wait in Khilgaon with hardly any transport available, she got to her workplace in Motijheel paying almost three times the regular fare.
"I am supposed to be at work by 10 am and now it is 10:30 am. I was not able to get a rickshaw even after waiting here for an hour-and-a-half and had to pay Tk120. I had to pay Tk70-80 on Sunday. Usually, the fare is Tk40-50," she told The Business Standard (TBS).
Mohammad Mokabber, an official of Standard Bank, said, "It is already very difficult to go to the office due to the lockdown. Today's rain added to that pain. I came to Khilgaon on foot from Basabo when I could not find a rickshaw, and my office is in Badda."
Babli Hawladar, an employee of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC), was going to her workplace at the Doinik Bangla intersection.
She said, "I walked about three kilometres from Goran Tempo Stand to Khilgaon as no rickshaw puller agreed to go to Doinik Bangla. However, some who agreed to go wanted to charge three times the usual fare."
"I am feeling sick now after walking three kilometers with a bag of food and water," she said.
The government has kept offices open and shut down public transport, making everybody suffer a lot, Babli added.
When some rickshaw pullers were asked why they were charging extra fare, they denied doing any such thing.
"We are taking the usual fare. If we go somewhere, we have to come back empty and have to make up for the loss in fare. So we are not charging more," said Hamid, a rickshaw puller.
Many people were seen going to office by rickshaw van and some on foot, finding no other way.
