ABOUT a half of the total number of student buses at
Rajshahi University have worn out for lack of repairs for years.
The students are suffering for transport crisis as there has been no addition of new buses to the transport sector of the university in the last few years.Over the crisis, the authorities concern blamed allocation of insufficient fund for the university’s transport sector.
The official of university’s transport department have told New Age that at present there are about 40 buses for the students while half of the buses have gone out of order causing sufferings to the students for long because of transport crisis.
An official, seeking anonymity, said about 26 thousand students of the university have long been demanding fifty busses regularly but the demand was never met.
About 20 buses, including 16 for male students, 2 for female students and 2 for both male and female student playing 12 routes were quite inadequate, the students alleged.
Khadija Khatun and Anuska Islam, who come to the campus traveling about 12 kilometrs, alleged, it is hectic journey by the ramshackle university buses during the hot weather amid crowd.
The number of female buses should be increased to reduce the hassle of their journey, they also demanded.
For about 18,600 non-resident students living out of campus, the existing number of buses is insufficient, many students alleged.
Most of the buses are worn-out and go out of order frequently, resulting in cancellation of scheduled routes while the seats of many buses have also become just the skeleton, they said.
The students at different times demanded increase in the number of routes to minimise the sufferings of the students living outside the campus.
Authorities’ indifferent attitude has been cause for discontent among the students who vandalised the transport office and damaged buses several times over the transport shortage.
Talking to New Age, Professor M Sayeduzzaman, administrator of RU transport department, said a huge amount of money was required to repair the buses lying idle for years and there was no fund to buy new bus.
When contacted, RU pro-vice-chancellor Chowdhury Sarowar Jahan said, ‘All our efforts to solve the transport crisis proved failure due to fund crisis.’
He, however, expressed hope that the problem would be resolved in the next fiscal year.
-With New Age input
