Bus services suspended on 6 Barishal routes, thousands stranded

Bus services on six local routes from Char Kauwa Bus Terminal in Barishal have been suspended since Monday morning as bus owners and workers demand a ban on three-wheelers and battery-run auto-rickshaws on the roads, causing severe inconvenience to thousands of passengers.

Bus owners and workers staged a protest at the terminal on 2 November, halting services on the routes.

According to relevant sources, around 70 buses operate daily from the terminal in Char Kauwa Union under Barishal Sadar upazila, serving the DC Road, Lakshmipasha, Laharhat, Katadia, Halta and Siddik Bazar routes. Thousands of people use these services every day.

The suspension has left commuters, including working people, struggling to reach their destinations. Many have been forced to use motorcycles and rickshaws, often paying higher fares.

Passengers complained that the suspension had increased their travel costs and expressed frustration over repeated disruptions. They called on senior officials concerned to intervene and resolve the dispute.

Passenger Sohrab Hossain Hawladar said he had planned to travel from Barishal to Nehalganj but was forced to seek alternative transport because bus services were suspended. He added that higher fares were being demanded.

Another passenger, Amena Khatun, said she arrived at the terminal to travel to her destination but found that bus services had been halted. She said she would have to pay extra to use alternative transport.

The dispute reportedly began on Sunday, 1 November, between owners of buses, three-wheelers and battery-run auto-rickshaws operating around Char Kauwa Bus Terminal. Bus owners and workers demanded that three-wheelers be barred from the roads.

They claimed that three-wheelers increased the risk of road accidents, particularly when competing with buses on the same routes. They urged the authorities to remove the smaller vehicles from the roads to improve safety.

Mohammad Swapan Hossain, general secretary of the Char Kauwa Bus Owners' Association, alleged that although they had tried to resume services on Monday morning, three-wheeler and auto-rickshaw drivers obstructed bus operations. He called for administrative intervention to resolve the problem.

However, protesting three-wheeler and auto-rickshaw drivers claimed that they operated their vehicles in compliance with regulations. They accused bus drivers of repeatedly raising allegations against them every few days to harass them deliberately.

sks