M Humayun Kabir: Commuters in different parts of the city faced serious troubles in reaching their destinations yesterday as transport owners have taken buses off the roads due to ongoing students’ movement.
Owners also suspended long-haul bus services on different routes, reports bdnews24.com.Morning commuters around the city found it difficult to get to work by bus as vehicles were few and far between that bounded them to reach their destinations on foot after a long wait for transports.As student protests intensified, the government shut schools, colleges and other educational institutions for Thursday for security reasons.Hundreds of students, mostly from Dhaka schools and colleges, took to the streets after a speeding bus ran over and killed two of their fellows waiting for transport on July 29 on Airport road.While visiting to Uttara’s Jasimuddin Avenue, morning commuters were seen jostling for buses as the number of vehicles was very thin on the road.A kilometer long queue of passengers was found at the busy airport bus-stop but they failed to get into any bus.Uttara’s commuters, who left home for Banani, Motijheel or other parts of the capital, were seen waiting for vehicles.Commuters in Khilkhet, Mohammadpur and Mohakhali areas also witnessed the same experience.BRTC buses were not seen in its Mohammadpur depot around 9am and other passenger carriers also kept off the road in the area.Passengers later tried to hire rickshaws and those who fail to get one, they just walked to their destinations.
Mymensingh bus owners have stopped services to Dhaka, citing security reasons, said Bikash Sarker, a spokesman for the District Motorised Transport Owners’ Association.