Transport strike & misery of commuters

Road transport workers have observed a 48-hour strike to press home their eight-point demand, mainly related to bringing amendments to the recently passed Road Transport Act-2018.

Commuters suffered because of this strike. As the election draws near, it seems that such sufferings in the form of traffic congestion, strikes and more will increase in Dhaka city and in other parts of the country. During the transport workers' strike, I faced a lot of problems. Early in the morning of October 28, I tried to drop my son off at his school. This was difficult as most rickshaw-pullers wanted higher fares than usual. I paid Tk 50 for a distance for which I usually pay Tk 20.

After dropping my son off at his school, I tried to reach my office which was the most difficult part. As the three-wheelers were asking for exorbitant fares, I waited on the road for nearly 50 minutes. Finally, I saw a pickup truck come by. A few people talked with the driver before getting into its back. I followed them. I paid Tk 200 to that pickup driver for dropping me off near my office. Social media and mainstream media have covered similar sufferings of people. It is very sad that an ailing baby passed away in an ambulance as the transport workers had not allowed the ambulance to pass.

I hope the transport workers will seek legal measures to press forth their demands instead of resorting to such strikes.

Haroon,

Bashundhara R/A, Dhaka