Barisal faces indefinite bus strike on 15 routes

Daily commuters are going to face more travel misery as the Barisal Bus Owners' and Workers' Association has called an indefinite bus strike on 15 local routes to protest against the failure of police to contain the "three-wheeler menace" on highways. Aftab Hossain, president of the Barisal Bus Owners' and Workers' Association, said three-wheeler owners and workers had stopped buses from operating on the   Barisal-Poisharhut route on Sunday morning to show defiance against the High Court order that banned plying of three-wheelers on highways. On receiving news, SM Aktaruzaman, police super of Barisal, went to the area to control the situation, but to no avail. After attempts of negotiations failed, bus owners and workers held an emergency meeting and called the strike in 15 internal routes connecting Barisal. "If the police fail to check the three-wheeler owners and workers within evening, we'll call a countrywide transport strike," Hossain told the Independent. When asked, the Barisal police super said they are trying to bring the situation under control as soon as possible. It may be mentioned that the agitating three-wheerler owners and workers were led by leaders of Sramik League, labour front of the Awami League AL, who blocked the Barisal -Dhaka highway at Gournadi point from Sunday morning, demanding plying of three-wheelers on highways. Later, the agitators responded to the call of the law enforcers to withdraw their blockade but immediately started to stop buses from plying on the Gournadi-Poisarhut route. District Bus Owners’ Association and Transport Labour Association said it will observe the indefinite bus strike on all long routes, internal routes and sub-routes of Barisal. It claimed that over 3,000 three-wheelers and trucks have been illegally carrying passengers on such routes without possessing any registration certificate, fitness certificate and route permit, which is taking toll on the profit of legal passenger buses.

 

Barisal faces indefinite bus strike on 15 routes

Daily commuters are going to face more travel misery as the Barisal Bus Owners and Workers Association has called an indefinite bus strike on 15 local routes to protest against the failure of police to contain the three-wheeler menace on highways. Aftab Hossain, president of the Barisal Bus Owners and Workers Association, said three-wheeler owners and workers had stopped buses from operating on the Barisal-Poisharhut route on Sunday morning to show defiance against the High Court order that banned plying of three-wheelers on highways. On receiving news, SM Aktaruzaman, police super of Barisal, went to the area to control the situation, but to no avail. After attempts of negotiations failed, bus owners and workers held an emergency meeting and called the strike in 15 internal routes connecting Barisal. If the police fail to check the three-wheeler owners and workers within evening, well call a countrywide transport strike, Hossain told the Independent. When asked, the Barisal police super said they are trying to bring the situation under control as soon as possible. It may be mentioned that the agitating three-wheerler owners and workers were led by leaders of Sramik League, labour front of the Awami League AL, who blocked the Barisal -Dhaka highway at Gournadi point from Sunday morning, demanding plying of three-wheelers on highways. Later, the agitators responded to the call of the law enforcers to withdraw their blockade but immediately started to stop buses from plying on the Gournadi-Poisarhut route. District Bus Owners Association and Transport Labour Association said it will observe the indefinite bus strike on all long routes, internal routes and sub-routes of Barisal. It claimed that over 3,000 three-wheelers and trucks have been illegally carrying passengers on such routes without possessing any registration certificate, fitness certificate and route permit, which is taking toll on the profit of legal passenger buses.