Breaking bus syndicate

The interim government's initiative to reform public transportation has evoked much hope about an orderly transportation in the city, but due to the non-cooperative behaviour of bus owners is preventing many routes from having an adequate number of vehicles, causing problems for passengers to mount.

Although ticket counters have been established at designated locations, their number remains insufficient to meet passenger demand, resulting in difficulties for people trying to purchase tickets. The long distances between counters only add to the inconvenience, further frustrating commuters. Initially, a few bus services like Victor and VIP implemented the ticketing system, but after a short period, they returned to their previous irregular operations. In reality, the enforcement of the rule prohibiting standing passengers and random boarding has stalled before being fully implemented, causing increased public inconvenience. The reluctance of bus owners to cooperate and their greed for excessive profits highlight a lack of commitment to bringing order to the transportation system. This also exposes the authorities' failure to enforce the new regulations effectively. Furthermore, the lack of proper monitoring has emboldened transport owners to defy the rules without facing consequences. Meanwhile, fare has been raised substantially without its benefits for passengers.

To break this transportation syndicate, it is essential that timely and effective measures are taken to ensure proper enforcement of the rules. The comfort and convenience of passengers must be prioritised to create a more efficient and accountable public transportation system.

Afifa Jahan Pushpo, Student

University of Dhaka

jahanafia44@gmail.com