Bangladesh
Eid goers Eid goers travelling in trucks and pickups to reach home
Dhaka, April 20: Low-income people are rushing to celebrate Eid with their relatives in trucks and pickups due to the extra fare in public transport. They are going to their respective destinations in a truck-pickup with a small risk. On Thursday (April 20) noon, such a picture was seen on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway and Dhaka-Tangail highway.
Talking to the passengers, it is known that the public transport fare is doubled during the Eid trip. Three times more rent is being charged depending on the place. Also during Ramadan public transport has to suffer from intense heat. They are moving in truck-pickup for the convenience of low fare.
Mymensingh-bound truck driver Emdadul Haque said that three days ago he went to Comilla with rice from Netrakona. He was returning to Mymensingh with an empty truck after bringing the cargo from Comilla and dropping it at Gazipur bypass area. Due to the pressure of passengers as soon as they arrived at the bypass area, passengers were taken up to Mymensingh for a fare of Tk 150 per person.
Abir, the passenger of that truck said, I am going from Gazipur for 150 taka. Which is much less than bus fare. It's very hot in the bus, going in the open environment in the truck.
Pickup passenger Rafiq said that you can travel by pickup at a lower fare than by bus. Where the bus is charging Tk 500 per person, I am going to Mymensingh with the whole family in a pickup for Tk 450.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Mauna Highway Police Station, Kangkan Kumar Das, said that there is a ban on transporting passengers in trucks and pickups on the highway by the highway police. We are taking legal action as soon as it comes to our notice. We request passengers to avoid pickup-trucks and have a risk-free Eid journey.
