BRTC's Volvo double-decker service
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
THE recent report in your esteemed paper regarding the woeful situation of BRTC's Volvo double-decker service was an eye-opener. So that is the real picture! We were all wondering whatever has happened to the Volvo service, why its service had declined so abysmally.
I was told by one of the drivers that there are 50 Volvo double-deckers in the BRTC's fleet all of which ply in Dhaka city (one goes up to Tongi). This was one of the most comfortable, trouble free trips for its passengers. Middle class passengers including job holders, students and housewives all preferred it to the other crowded passenger vehicles. The fare was within what one could easily afford for the kind of journey it offered in terms of comfort and punctuality. There used to be a bus every ten minutes. Now, suddenly, in the past few months the situation has changed drastically. Today one has to wait anything between half an hour to an hour and a half for it! This was terrible during the Ramadan because near Iftar time there were jams in many roads. Many a times (I used to take the bus from Farm Gate) I had to break Iftar at the bus stand after waiting for an hour.
The people in charge speak of expensive spare parts and the fact that it has to do 300 kms a day, instead of the 150 kms it normally does.
My question is, does it really always have to be a money-spinner? Is there no such thing as public service? Why isn't something being done about it?
The traffic jams are not getting any better (rickshaws come out at 9 pm instead of 10 pm as they are supposed to!) are we seeing the death throes of the Volvo double-decker service or is the government going to take a hand and reverse the situation?
MA Jobbar
Monipuripara, Dhaka
I was told by one of the drivers that there are 50 Volvo double-deckers in the BRTC's fleet all of which ply in Dhaka city (one goes up to Tongi). This was one of the most comfortable, trouble free trips for its passengers. Middle class passengers including job holders, students and housewives all preferred it to the other crowded passenger vehicles. The fare was within what one could easily afford for the kind of journey it offered in terms of comfort and punctuality. There used to be a bus every ten minutes. Now, suddenly, in the past few months the situation has changed drastically. Today one has to wait anything between half an hour to an hour and a half for it! This was terrible during the Ramadan because near Iftar time there were jams in many roads. Many a times (I used to take the bus from Farm Gate) I had to break Iftar at the bus stand after waiting for an hour.
The people in charge speak of expensive spare parts and the fact that it has to do 300 kms a day, instead of the 150 kms it normally does.
My question is, does it really always have to be a money-spinner? Is there no such thing as public service? Why isn't something being done about it?
The traffic jams are not getting any better (rickshaws come out at 9 pm instead of 10 pm as they are supposed to!) are we seeing the death throes of the Volvo double-decker service or is the government going to take a hand and reverse the situation?
MA Jobbar
Monipuripara, Dhaka