Private transport owners are preparing to operate regular public buses services on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha festival from July 15 to 22 – the duration when the government relaxes restrictions.
The train services will also start during the same period as well and advance train tickets are already available online.
Since the news of relaxing the lockdown thousands of transport workers have begun preparing to run long-distance buses from the capital's Gabtali, Mohakhali and Sayedabad bus terminals.
Idle parked buses left for a long time are being cleaned and repaired. Busyness in bringing the elements of life and livelihood to the streets has created a new feeling among bus drivers, helpers and supervisors.
The workers in this sector had quite a hardship as the public transport movement was suspended due to restrictions. Most of the workers in the capital have been living in dire despair with their families due to lack of income. Therefore, for some time now, they have demanded resumption of public transport in compliance with the health guidelines.
Saddam, a transport worker on the Dhaka-Chittagong route, told Bangladesh Post, "We are all happy with the news of the resumption of transportation. We will be able to celebrate in happiness. We earn on the basis of daily operation of bus services. So, it is indeed a great relief that such decision was taken just ahead of the festival.”
"Earnings were minimum because the bus was closed for so long. By borrowing money, I have spent my days in misery looking for a day laborer's job," he added.
Md Jamal, a bus driver of Shyamoli Paribahan, told Bangladesh Post, "We are happy with the government's decision. It is more difficult for us to spend our days in poverty and deprivation than dying from coronavirus. We are living helplessly with our whole family.”
Not only workers but also the management have been quite busy pursuing the government to decide to resume public bus services. They are arranging bus routes, drivers and trips on the occasion of Eid as well as selling advance tickets.
When asked, Mohammad Mosharraf, general manager of Hanif Paribahan's Dhaka to northern division, told Bangladesh Post, "Number of passengers rises manifold during the Eid season. Moreover, the buses will operate with half the capacity. So, the number of trips may be increased."
"The bus will run from the 15th. The counters won’t be opened before then. No decision has been taken yet about the advance ticket," he added.
Meanwhile, 38 pairs of intercity trains and 19 pairs of local mail trains will run across the country from July 15 to July 22. Bangladesh Railway is preparing to resume limited train services.
The compartments, lying idly in the depot for a long time, are being cleaned and disinfected. Railway sources confirmed that the process will be followed before any train leaves any district to maintain hygiene.
Besides, Bangladesh Railway (BR) has started selling tickets online from 5 pm on Tuesday.
BR has issued some directives for the passengers traveling in the train. These include - Non-computerized station tickets must be purchased from that station counter, each of the passengers must wear mask before getting into the station, passengers can purchase advance tickets five days before departure and tickets purchased online cannot be refunded.
Strict restrictions were imposed across the country on July 1 to rein the surge of the corona virus. Therefore, public transport movement was stopped.
However, in the interest of keeping the country's socio-economic condition and economic activities normal, the government has decided to relax all restrictions imposed from midnight on July 14 to 6 am on July 23. Subsequently, the Cabinet Division issued a notification imposing new restrictions from 6 am on July 23 to 12 noon on August 5.