Too many home-goers, too few transports

By AKM Moinuddin

Dhaka, Sept 7 (UNB) - Exodus of momentary residents and fortune-makers from the capital city has started today, just three days ahead of the biggest festival of the Muslim, changing the chaotic look of the city thoroughfares to some extent.
Most of the city's inter-district coach terminals, railway station and launch terminal were found overcrowded. Empty and the cargo-laden trucks were also seen carrying homebound passengers who could not procure train or bus tickets.
Over 60 lakh people out of nearly 1.5 crore people living in the capital are expected to go home ahead of the Eid. According to an unofficial estimate, around 20 lakh people, on an average, quit the city every day and the trend continues even in the intensified form till the Eid day.
The presence of officials and employees at different public offices and enterprises dropped significantly on Monday though today (Tuesday) is public holiday. A good number of public and private employees sought casual leaves against the working day before the Eid vacation.
Many public and private commercial banks here in the port city had to suffer from liquidity crisis for meeting the cash demands of the clients on Monday, officials said.
UNB roaming correspondent Rafiqul Islam said thousands of homebound people thronged launch, rail and bus terminals in the capital, and most of them found their attempt difficult to avail the transport.
Many along with family members were desperate for CNG-run auto-rickshaws or taxicabs in city streets. Those, who managed to find one, had to pay an exorbitant fare to reach destinations.
Meanwhile, people were seen standing in long queue at Kamalapur Railway Station to buy train tickets. But most tickets were sold in advance.
Field-level visit reveals that the bus operators are charging excess fare in short-distance routes like Dhaka-Kishoreganj, Dhaka-Comilla and Dhaka-Narsingdi.
However, the long-distance bus fare like Dhaka-Chittagong, Dhaka-Sylhet, Dhaka-Moulobibazar, Dhaka-Habiganj, Dhaka-Cox’s Bazar, Dhaka-Feni and Dhaka-Noakhali remained unchanged.
“We didn’t increase the fare …we’re charging usual fare like Tk 300 for Dhaka to Chittagong,” said Sohag Raihan of Shymoli Paribahan at Syedabad.
Sources said both public and private operators have doubled the number of transports of various modes to carry over seven million homebound passengers from the capital ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr.
Bus operators said they have increased daily trips which will continue until Eid. Number of launches has also increased. Some 100 launches will operate on different river-routes to ferry passengers.
The railway authority has so far sold 70,000 advance rail tickets on different routes which will exceed 1 lakh before Eid, Dhaka Divisional Railway Manager M Habibur Rahman told UNB Correspondent AKM Moinuddin over phone on Tuesday.
“We’ve added extra coaches with the existing trains to carry passengers,” he said. Special, intercity, commuter, mail and local trains are running at full capacity from Kamalapur, Joydebpur, Dhaka Cantonment and Airport railway stations.
Nearly one million people are expected to leave the capital city for homes by launches from the Sadarghat Launch Terminal to enjoy Eid holiday from Thursday with their dear ones.
Capital's three major bus terminals -- Gabtoli, Sayedabad and Mohakhali - were also seen overcrowded on Tuesday.
People of wealthier section of the society are availing airways on Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Jessore and Sylhet routes from the capital to go home ahead of Eid.
Security measures by RAB, Police and APB (Armed Police Battalion) including plan-clothed personnel have been tightened in and around the bus and launch terminals and railway stations.
END/UNB/