Bus services on six routes from Char Kauwa Bus Terminal in Barishal Sadar upazila were suspended on Monday morning amid a dispute over the operation of three-wheelers and battery-run autorickshaws on roads.Leaders of the bus owners’ association and workers’ union halted services from the terminal from the morning of November 2, disrupting the journeys of thousands of passengers.Around 70 buses operate daily on six routes from the terminal, including DC Road, Laxmipasha, Laharhat, Kataria, Halta and Siddik Bazar. The terminal serves several thousand passengers on an average day.The sudden suspension left commuters struggling to reach their destinations. Many were forced to use motorcycles and rickshaws at higher fares.Sohrab Hawlader, a passenger travelling from Barishal to Nehalganj, said he had to pay extra for alternative transport because bus services were unavailable.Another passenger, Amena Khatun, said she arrived at Char Kauwa terminal for urgent work only to find all bus services suspended. She was left with no choice but to seek alternative transport at additional cost and inconvenience.Dispute Over Three-WheelersThe suspension followed a dispute on Sunday among bus operators, three-wheeler owners and workers, and battery-run autorickshaw operators at Char Kauwa Bus Terminal.Bus owners and workers demanded a ban on three-wheelers on highways and regional roads, alleging that these vehicles frequently caused accidents and created serious safety risks by competing with buses on the roads.They called for the immediate removal of unauthorised vehicles from the roads.However, Mamun Khandaker, president of the bus owners’ association, alleged that although they tried to resume bus services on Monday morning, three-wheeler and autorickshaw drivers obstructed their operations.He called for urgent administrative intervention to resolve the dispute and restore normal bus services.
সহজ ও দ্রুত খবরের আপডেট পেতে আমাদের অ্যাপটি ইন্সটল করুন।
