Workers, porters rule the roost at bus terminals

Passengers and small traders at the city’s long-route bus terminals are subject to untold harassment and become victims of different kinds of extortions due to lax enforcement of law by the authorities concerned.
Terminal labourers having a nexus with local influential ruling party men and associations of transport owners and workers charge the passengers high for handling goods, ignoring the rates fixed by Dhaka City Corporation.
‘I had to pay Tk 200 for unloading a cage of chicken from the rooftop of a bus while the rate fixed by DCC is only Tk 20. Labour leaders also beat one of our chicken traders for refusing to pay extra charges,’ Sukkur Ali, a small trader, said.
He alleged that for each cage of chicken they have to pay extra charges to terminal labourers. ‘Besides, many people coerce them into paying tolls in the name of different organisations. We lodged complaints to police but they did nothing,’ he added.
Ali sells chickens in the city’s kitchen markets carrying them from Mymensingh.
When the passengers arrive at the bus stations, transport employees start dragging their luggage to get them in their respective bus.
Though Bangladesh Road Transport Authority has put up a chart fixing the fares for different routes, passengers are charged more by transport employees, some long-route travellers said.
Asked about the passengers’ allegations, a member of Gabtoli Terminal Bus Owners Association claimed that they had been charging the passengers less than the rates fixed by BRTA. ‘As there is no rush of passengers now, we are charging them less… Only during Eid-Ul-Fitr and Eid-Ul-Azha, we charge some extra from the passengers to make up for the losses we suffer throughout the year,’ he said.
He pointed out that not transport owners, but the ruling party men who took control of transport workers’ unions and owners’ associations at the terminals are responsible for passenger harassment.
Joshon Ali, assistant manger of Dhaka City Corporation at Gabtoli Bus terminal, said, ‘The situation has improved slightly. Passengers are not being harassed here. But in some cases, they become victim of local goons at night.’
DCC sources said some 1800-2000 buses ply different routes from the Gabtoli bus terminal, the biggest in the city.
Although law enforcers claim to have taken stringent measures, passenger harassment continues to increase at different bus stations.
Shafiqur Rahman, an on-duty traffic inspector at Sayedabad bus terminal, said, ‘We know that transport workers often misbehave with passengers over settling the fares.
We are trying our best to discipline the transport sector.’
At Sayedabad bus terminal, Razzak Akand, a Khulna bound passenger, said, ‘I have bought a ticket of Sundarban Paribahan for Tk 260.
They gave me a seat but now I see that my seat has been sold to other passenger. They said that I would have to travel on engine cover.’
Everyday some 2000-2200 buses run between Sayedabad bus terminal and different routes including Chittagong and Sylhet, said a DCC official.
Passengers from districts, especially those who arrive at the terminal at night, are exposed to mugging, snatching and pick-pocketing.
‘Agyan party,’ the group of criminals who mug passengers after drugging
them or using balm in the eyes, is also active at the terminals.
When buses remain stranded in gridlocks near terminals in busy evening hours, snatchers take away passengers’ valuables through windows, some victims said.
Harassment of passengers by the CNG-run auto-rickshaw and taxicab drivers is also common. There is hardly any autorickshaw or taxi driver who would carry the passengers on metered fare.
Passengers have to pay at least Tk 20 to Tk 30 above the meter and drivers, in some cases, charge double the meter readings.
Besides, female passengers are often victims of eve-teasing or indecent behaviours of transport workers.
Passengers alleged that law banning smoking in public places like terminals and inside buses even is hardly applied.
Passenger sheds are all occupied by small traders spreading their merchandises, while passengers have to stand outside in rain or sun.
Due to inadequate toilet facilities, corners of terminals turned into public toilets. Dhaka City Corporation deployed some cleaners, but they are hardly seen at the terminal.
‘DCC leased out toilets and lease-holders are realising Tk 5 from each woman for using toilet. But the DCC fixed Tk 1 for using toilet each time,’ an employee of the city corporation said.

Courtesy of NewAgebd