City buses ignore counter system
City service buses pick up passengers from any place at their will ignoring counter system and traffic rules.Photo: STAR
The passengers of city service buses suffer as the owners and drivers are reluctant to use counter system to sell tickets. Under the traffic rule, the drivers of the city service buses were asked to drop or pick passengers from the specific stoppages. Passengers were also requested to buy tickets in advance from the designated counters before boarding the buses. Traffic department of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) introduced the system on April 14 to ease the passengers' hassle and streamline the bus services in the port city. A number of makeshift counters were also set up at different stoppages on the 11 routes in the city in this regard. But from the very beginning of the move the owners and drivers started non-cooperation to the plan of CMP and threw challenge to the department. A few days after the system was launched the unruly drivers and owners in an organised way withdrew the vehicles from the city roads in a bid to thwart the system. The system, however, could be implemented later following drastic drives by the traffic department and passengers could avail comfortable travel in the city. The department filed 675 cases against city service buses and seized 104 others on charge of violating the system during a three-week drive before Ramadan. But the drivers started violation of traffic rules as the department suspends the drive on the eve of Eid-Ul-Fitr. Passengers alleged that counters have now completely disappeared from most of the routes. They said only 40 per cent counters could be found only on routes No. 9 and No. 10, the two busy routes, while most of the counters have vanished from other routes. Abul Kalam, a passenger, said some counters are only kept to puzzle the traffic police in a bid to avoiding fines and cases but in fact no tickets are sold there. While visiting the busiest Choumuhoni Moor on Monday only two counters were found while buses of four routes cross the area. Saiful Islam, a staff of route No. 7, was seen sitting at his counter while buses were found stopped far away from the counter. Passengers also were not buying tickets from the counter before boarding the bus. When asked Saiful said this counter has been kept only to avoid harassment of the police. He sold tickets of only Tk 120 on the last day while he is supposed to sell tickets of over Tk 7000 a day, the staff said. He was worried to get his monthly payment as he was doing nothing but sitting there. Passengers are often found involved in altercation with the staffs and drivers over the matter. Harassment of commuters and realisation of additional fare in the city buses has been a routine picture. Sultana Azad, a college student, said the counter system is really comfortable for the passengers especially for the women as it ensured them to get seat. Accepting the allegations Golum Rasul Babul, general secretary of ChittagongTransport Owners' Association, said there is no body to control 840 buses plying the city. He said his association can only monitor some activities but is not able to control the owners. He, however, said the counter service could be introduced for the newly imported buses. But, there are many old vehicles that always try to violate the system in a bid carry much passenger for higher profit. He said they have already lodged a written complaint to the traffic department over the violation of traffic rules by a section of drivers. Assistant Commissioner (AC) Mostafizur Rahman of CMP (traffic) said they will launch a fresh drive in this regard soon.
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