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BRTC trucks to be used if needed: Ministry

Lack of transportation disrupting supply chain


Published : 01 Apr 2020 09:56 PM | Updated : 06 Sep 2020 01:08 AM

Transportation of goods across the country is being disrupted due to a crisis of goods-carrying trucks following the government-announced general holidays to halt the spread coronavirus. As a result, most of the goods are being severely damaged, while prices of these goods are also drastically falling. Farmers and entrepreneurs spoke of such scenarios.

Talking to truck owners and workers, this correspondent learned that amid Coronavirus lockdown, most of the truck drivers, helpers, and mechanics have fled to their homes. As a result, emergency food items cannot be shipped to remote areas from the capital. Similarly, essential commodities from different regions of the country are not being brought to the capital.

For lack of safety, drivers and helpers are reluctant to go on the highways while truck owners are fearing huge losses. Truck drivers said, for countrywide lockdown, hotels along different highways have shut down, and fear that if they drive, they will not be able to have food and other supports on the highways.

A truck driver at Tejgaon Truck Stand while talking to this correspondent said, “While driving on the highways, if we do not find filling stations, hotels, and garages open, we will have to be stranded for unlimited time”. Meanwhile, they also pointed out that if they took their trucks outside of the capital city, for the ongoing situation, they would have to return empty. This will be a loss for them as well as for the owners.

On the other hand, farmers said, losses will mount because it is harvest time for watermelons, bananas, muskmelon, gram, cotton, chilies, turmeric, coriander, onion, and potato. If they cannot transport these to other cities and markets, most of the produce will rot in the fields.

Shahadat, a watermelon farmer at Bhola informed this correspondent, “It is high time for harvest, but there is no buyer and transport, which is causing severe damage to my produce.” He feared that he may have to face a loss of Tk 40 lakh during this season. Concerned people are saying if this situation continues, it will be harder to keep the supply chain stable in the country .

However, traders are pointing to something different, saying, there are sufficient food grain stocks in different parts of the country. Due to lack of transportation, they are unable to bring those to the capital. Babu Bazar Rice Traders Association general secretary Nizam Uddin said, “There is a huge amount of rice stocked at different mills in the country. For lack of transportation, we are unable to fetch rice from Kushtia and Naogaon”.

“Due to supply disruption, the rice price has increased. If the transportation problem is not solved immediately, it will be difficult to keep rice prices stable”, he added. Ahmed Hossain, president of the Bangladesh Truck Workers Association, said, "There is no road safety due to disruptions from the coronavirus. The garages, food hotels and others are not open. For these reasons we are not driving”. He said adding, “The truck owners are reluctant to run their vehicles on one way trips. There is also the fear of being attacked by 

coronavirus. These all create crises of cargo trucks on the roads”. Commerce ministry secretary, Dr Zafar Uddin said, "In any case, the government is committed to keeping food supply stable. Whatever needs to be done for this, the government will do so. There is nothing to worry about. The supply of goods will be kept continued by including BRTC trucks if necessary. ”