Bus services suspended on 3 local routes in Barisal div

Thousands of commuters have been suffering as bus services on some regional routes, including tourist spot Kuakata, remain suspended for the last four days.

All buses from Patuakhali and Barguna districts have stopped plying on the Patuakhali-Kuakata, Patuakhali-Amtali and Barisal-Barguna via Chandukhali routes since May 25, 2022.

The disruption has occurred due to the conflict between the bus owners of Patuakhali and Barguna districts, reports The Daily Star. 

Quoting locals, TDS reported that the bus owners' association has been at odds for a long time over the proportional bus service on Barguna and Patuakhali districts' internal routes. At meetings in Barishal in 2019 and in Dhaka in 2021, the two districts reached an agreement.

According to the agreement, the bus owners will operate the Barishal-Kuakata-Patuakhali-Amtali-Taltali, and Barishal-Barguna via Chandukhali routes proportionally.

The Patuakhali Bus Owners' Association claims that their buses are being barred in Barguna since May 18, despite the fact that the buses have been running according to the agreement.

Riaz Uddin Mridha, president of Patuakhali Bus Owners' Association, said, "Barguna Bus Owners' Association operates more buses on these routes than the proportional ratio. We want to run the bus proportionately, but the Barguna Association is preventing us from doing so. They are stopping our buses at various locations."

"They have been harassing all our buses for a week," said Golam Mustafa Kislu, president of the Barguna Bus Owners' Association. "Patuakhali Bus Owners Association is interfering with our bus service by failing to operate the bus in accordance with the previous agreement," he added.

The issue is likely to be resolved at a joint meeting of Patuakhali and Barguna deputy commissioners (DC) on Sunday.