Around 50 million may travel inter-district over Eid: BJKS

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS) on Sunday demanded to take effective steps to stop unbearable traffic jams, passengers' harassment, fare anarchy and road accidents during the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr - always a period of heightened activity on road, rail and waterways.

Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, Secretary General of the organisation, made the demand at a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters' Unity in the capital's Segunbagicha on Sunday.

Mozammel Haque Chowdhury claimed that extortion by some members of the law enforcement agencies and transport leaders as well as various toll points creates traffic congestion on the national highways.

He demanded to stop extortion and free the roads of traffic jams during Eid travel.

Mozammel said that due to the relief of Covid-19, almost twice as many people will go home this Eid. The BJKS thinks that more than 1 crore people will travel from Dhaka to different districts of the country in the upcoming Eid. In addition, about 50 million more people may travel from one district to another.

Due to this, from April 20 to May 10, there will be an additional 60 crore trip in different categories of transport in the country due to various reasons including Eid Bazaar, homebound travel. This requires extra security, maximum caution, ensuring maximum use of every vehicle on all routes. But due to traffic congestion and mismanagement, if proper use is not ensured in public transport, a hellish situation may arise in this year's Eid travel, the BJKS secretary general added.

In his written statement, he also said that the people of the capital will suffer the most due to the traffic jam during this Eid Yatra. Therefore, from this moment on, all the roads in the capital are free of footpaths, street hawkers and illegal parking.

Alleging that some transport owners and drivers have been bent on making extra fare anarchy to make up for the extra passenger pressure and transport crisis, Corona's loss, he said.

He further said that the government's failure to take exemplary effective measures would result in anarchy in collecting double or triple rent in all routes this time. Therefore, he demanded to take strict measures to stop the collection of extra rent.

Due to the recent railway strike, the railways have faced a massive schedule disaster. If it is not overcome, the suffering will increase. There is a apprehension that issuing train tickets online may be problematic. The passengers' tickets will be handed over to the black marketers from the ticket counter. As a result, passengers will have to buy these tickets from black marketers at exorbitant prices, Mozammel feared.

As the tickets of private airlines including Bangladesh Biman for 10 days before and after the upcoming Eid on domestic routes have been grabbed by various travel agencies, the passengers will have to buy tickets for these flights at several times higher prices this Eid.

Also due to apprehension over weather, the waterways have become very risky. He demanded that appropriate measures be taken to ensure that fitness vessels do not overload passengers as well as closure of unfit vessels.