Stakeholders urge uninterrupted fuel flow during Eid

Bangla Press Desk: The Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity has urged the authorities to ensure uninterrupted fuel supply for the transport sector, warning that the existing fuel rationing system could worsen suffering during the Eid travel rush.

In a statement sent to the media on Tuesday, the organisation’s Secretary General, Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, said the ceiling on fuel supply may disrupt transport operations and trigger fare irregularities.He noted that around 1.5 crore people are expected to leave Dhaka and surrounding districts for their hometowns ahead of Eid, while another 3 to 4 crore people may travel between districts across the country.

According to the organisation’s observations, Eid travel will generate massive transport demand, including about 4o lakh trips by launches, 30 lakh by CNG-run auto-rickshaws, 80 lakh by human haulers, 60,000 by cars and microbuses, and around 30 lakh trips by long-distance buses and minibuses.

In addition, Dhaka city buses may operate around 40 lakh trips, while ride-sharing motorcycles could carry passengers in nearly 2.5 crore trips.

Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said the country already lacks sufficient public transport to handle such a huge volume of travellers. If fuel supply remains limited, many vehicles may fail to operate the required number of trips.He also warned that some dishonest transport operators might exploit the situation by charging excessive fares, causing further hardship for passengers.

The organisation therefore called on the authorities to withdraw the fuel rationing system and ensure uninterrupted fuel supply to the transport sector until Eid day to facilitate smooth travel for millions of passengers.Source: daily Sun

BP/SP