Government measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the country have hit the transport sector badly, pushing several million people into misery with communications stopped for an indefinite period. Transport leaders and entrepreneurs said due to the general holidays, the industry is incurring a loss of Tk 500 crore each day. They say, the sector is in need of incentive assistance to survive. Otherwise, they will have to lose everything.
The president of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association (BRTOA), Mashiur Rahman Ranga said, “If the transport sector remains closed, its daily loss is around Tk 500 crore. In view of this huge loss, we request the government to declare special incentives for the owners and workers of this sector.”
According to information, the county’s transport sector employs around 7 million workers that include drivers and assistants of buses, trucks, covered vans, pickup vans, and three-wheelers. It is to be noted, the government on Friday extended the general holidays until April 25, aiming to prevent the spread of the deadly virus. Till the same time, all means of transport communication will remain shut to prevent the spread of the highly contagious virus.
As per transport insider' information, it was learned that “All transport workers earn their livelihood on a daily basis, now they are leading inhuman lives with their families as they have no work in this situation”. Workers said that arranging daily meals has become hard as they live on daily earnings from offices, factories, and markets that are now closed due to the virus.
Abul Kalam, president of Mohakhali Bus Terminal Bus Owners Association told Bangladesh Post that they were told to shut bus services, so they did. “Now workers have no jobs,” he added. Kalam told Bangladesh Post, “We are trying to support the workers financially, but it’s very little and there is the payment of bank loan for the owners.”
At present, a total of 231 transport workers unions are enlisted with Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation, the sector’s apex body headed by ruling Awami League presidium member and lawmaker Shahjahan Khan.
