Staff Correspondent
The health safety protocols imposed by the government, when it allowed public transports and inter-district travel to resume, are seldom followed. Most of the city service buses plying in capital Dhaka are carrying passengers at full capacity in violation of the order directing them to carry at half the capacity. However, inter-district bus services are following the rules somewhat. But the health protocols are totally ignored at launches. The state-owned railway services are operating trains in compliance with the rules. After being suspended for weeks due to a second wave of Covid-19 infections, the government allowed the public transport system and inter-district travel to resume last month. While the rules say that buses must only operate at 50% capacity in order to ensure social distancing, in practice this is nowhere to be seen. On the contrary, buses are taking on so many passengers that many are forced to stand during the rides. The rules also included that no passenger can be picked up without masks; drivers, supervisors, helpers and ticket sellers will also wear masks, and adequate soap water, hand sanitizer should be kept for washing their hands. However, most drivers and helpers are also reluctant to maintain social distance, keep hand sanitizers or wear a mask. When asked, bus helpers and transport personnel complained that the passengers themselves should be held responsible for overcrowding the buses amid the pandemic. Passengers, however, complained that they were forced to ride overcrowded buses owing to the fact they were unable to avail buses following the guidelines. According to the BRTA’s decision to carry half of the capacity, passengers can be charged an additional 60% of the current fare, and the vehicle should be cleaned and disinfected at the start and end of each trip. These rules are mostly being violated on the city service transports, while many of the long route buses are somewhat following the directives. “We have written to all bus owners, companies, district branches and units of the association to carry passengers at half the capacity,” Bangladesh Road Transport Owners’ Association Secretary General Khandaker Enayet Ullah said. “The matter is also being monitored by the law enforcement agencies. Strict actions will be taken if anyone is found to be violating the directives,” he added. The scenario is much the same in case of the launches. Passengers complained that there is no supervision anywhere. Hand sanitizers, masks or temperature measuring instruments were not seen to be used, while the launches are taking on an excessive number of passengers. Joynal Abedin, joint director of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority’s (BIWTA) refuted the claims. “We have officers monitoring each pontoon. Loudspeaker announcements are also in place to ensure that excessive passengers are not picked up,” said the BIWTA official based at Dhaka’s Sadarghat river port Only railways following health protocols The railway services depict a very different picture from the other public transports. During a visit to the Kamalapur Station in the city, it was seen that passengers are made to sanitize their hands prior to their journey, while the trains are also being disinfected properly. Passengers are being carried at half the capacity, said Station Manager Mohammad Masud Sarwar . “We are following all the health directives. The way we are following the hygiene rules, it is not happening in any other public transport,” he said.
