Govt steps sought for safe Eid journeys

Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association (PWAB) on Monday demanded steps against the movement of unfit buses and launches, and for speed control on highways during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, reports UNB.
They came up with the demand in a roundtable discussion titled ‘Sufferings in Eid Journey: Citizens' Thought’ held in the capital.
Reading out a written statement, PWAB secretary general Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury said homebound passengers will face sufferings this year, too as 37 per cent roads and highways are in very poor state (according to government estimates) while road, rail and water transportation services are not adequate to meet the demand.
He said 212 people were killed and 896 injured in 168 accidents during Eid-ul-Fitr last year, while 265 killed and 1,153 injured in 210 accidents during the last Eid-ul-Azha.
According to PWAB, during this Eid, some 80 lakh people from Dhaka, while 22 Lakh from Chittagong, 6 lakh from Sylhet, 12 lakh from Khulna, 8 lakh from Rajshahi, 4 lakh from Rangpur and 4 lakh from Barisal will move to different places of the country.
But, the number of vehicles to meet the requirement during Eid is inadequate as there are only 39,945 buses, 2,500 launches of different sizes, 92 intercity trains with 24 eid special trains for carrying the homebound passengers.
Former Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Dr Ikram Ahmed, assistant general secretary of Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Malik Samity Hossain Ahmed Majumder, Barrister Shafiqul Islam, general secretary of Biplobi Sarak Paribahan Sromik Federation Md Ali Reza also spoke on the occasion. Dr Ikram said the budget allocation for the development of public transport sector is still too inadequate. "Rail and water transport services need to be developed further like the roads and highways," he added.

Govt steps sought for safe Eid journeys

Bangladesh Passengers Welfare Association (PWAB) on Monday demanded steps against the movement of unfit buses and launches, and for speed control on highways during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr, reports UNB. They came up with the demand in a roundtable discussion titled Sufferings in Eid Journey: Citizens Thought held in the capital. Reading out a written statement, PWAB secretary general Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury said homebound passengers will face sufferings this year, too as 37 per cent roads and highways are in very poor state (according to government estimates) while road, rail and water transportation services are not adequate to meet the demand. He said 212 people were killed and 896 injured in 168 accidents during Eid-ul-Fitr last year, while 265 killed and 1,153 injured in 210 accidents during the last Eid-ul-Azha. According to PWAB, during this Eid, some 80 lakh people from Dhaka, while 22 Lakh from Chittagong, 6 lakh from Sylhet, 12 lakh from Khulna, 8 lakh from Rajshahi, 4 lakh from Rangpur and 4 lakh from Barisal will move to different places of the country. But, the number of vehicles to meet the requirement during Eid is inadequate as there are only 39,945 buses, 2,500 launches of different sizes, 92 intercity trains with 24 eid special trains for carrying the homebound passengers. Former Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) Dr Ikram Ahmed, assistant general secretary of Bangladesh Truck and Covered Van Malik Samity Hossain Ahmed Majumder, Barrister Shafiqul Islam, general secretary of Biplobi Sarak Paribahan Sromik Federation Md Ali Reza also spoke on the occasion. Dr Ikram said the budget allocation for the development of public transport sector is still too inadequate. Rail and water transport services need to be developed further like the roads and highways, he added.