Transport sector in turmoil

Daily loss Tk108 crore

The country’s road transport sector has suffered losses of over Tk 2,600 crore caused by the disruption in the services of around five lakh buses and goods carriers since October 28 amid the ongoing blockades and hartal, said transport owners.
Of this, owners of the goods carriers face the bigger loss of over Tk 1,500 crore.
Transport owners association secretary general Khandakar Enayetullah said that huge vehicles were vandalised across the country with 90 per cent of the incidents took place in Dhaka.
Owners are running very few luxury buses on long routes due to lack of passenger availability, the association secretary general said.
The Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association said to The Shuttle Times on Sunday, while its leaders claimed that the sector has also suffered the loss of Tk 26.50 crore on a separate account due to the vandalism and arson attacks on buses and other carriers in the current political turmoil.
Bangladesh Covered Van-Truck-Prime Mover Goods Transport Owners Association stated that the sector faced a daily loss of Tk108 crore as goods transportation remained almost shut down for six days from 19 to 24 July.