Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity, a prominent passenger welfare organization, is advocating for a two-day extension of the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays to alleviate passenger suffering, fare-related chaos, and road accidents during the Eid travels.
The secretary general of the organization, Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, articulated this demand during a press conference held at Dhaka Reporters Unity’s Sagar-Runi Hall on Wednesday.
Based on the observations of BJKS, an estimated 10 million individuals from Dhaka, 4 million from Gazipur, 1.2 million from Narayanganj, and 800,000 people from nearby districts are expected to travel to various parts of the country during Eid.
In the days leading up to Eid, approximately 3 million passengers are anticipated to utilize buses and minibuses, 4 million to opt for trains, 3.5 million to travel by car, jeep, and microbus, 1.2 million to commute via motorcycle, 6 million to journey by launch, and about 1 million to take flights.
Moreover, due to a shortage of public transport and overcharging, as many as 1.8 million passengers may resort to traveling on bus or train roofs, trucks, and freighters.
BJKS projects that approximately 40-50 million passengers will embark on journeys to various districts, with an additional 60 million passengers expected to utilize different modes of transportation across the country from April 5 to April 14, owing to various factors including travel for market visits and village reunions during Eid.
Mozammel Haque Chowdhury emphasized, “If proper utilization of public transport is not ensured, there may be chaotic conditions during this year’s Eid travels, particularly with the possibility of Eid falling on April 11 due to the fasting period of 30 days.”
He further stated, “With only one public holiday on April 10 before Eid, and a five-day holiday from April 10 to April 14, including Pohela Boishakh on April 14, there will be a significant surge in passenger numbers. Extending Eid holidays by two days would alleviate public transport crises and mitigate passenger suffering.”
Highlighting concerns about potential traffic congestion, Chowdhury pointed out reports indicating 714 spots prone to jams during Eid, with 140 spots requiring close monitoring. He stressed the need for decongesting roads from extortion and toll points and urged for strict measures to curb excessive fare collection anarchy.
