The first day of the counter bus service in the Chittagong city was rather ceremonial, with the countermen packing up their arrangement within minutes of the launch of the service on Monday.
Chittagong city mayor M Manjur Alam in the morning inaugurated the counter service at New Market.
The launch was attended among others by additional police commissioner Shafiqul Islam, deputy police commissioner (north) CMP Amena Begum and leaders of several transport owner associations.
But the countermen packed up their chairs and tables within a few minutes of opening the service.
During a spot visit, no counter service was seen in any strategic points of the city and like other days the passengers were seen to get on minibuses and human haulers without any ticket.
Several transport owners' associations at a press conference on July 23 at Chittagong Press Club announced that the service would be launched on Monday.
The leaders of the associations promised that the counter service would operate from 7:00am till 9:00pm and 137 counters would be set up in the city while 1,200 minibuses and human haulers would ply under the service.
When contacted, CMP deputy commissioner (traffic) Faruk Ahmed told New Age that as he was outside Chittagong, he did not know the details but hoped that the service would come into effect today.
Explaining the absence of counter service in the city, Faruk said this was not unusual as it was jut the first day of the service.
Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association, however, told New Age that the initiative to launch counter service in the city was taken in 2008 but it fell through.
'Launching counter service is not enough unless the service is improved. There are two passengers' organisations operative in Chittagong. But, the CMP does not care to invite them to the meeting with transport owners. There is an unholy nexus between the CMP authorities and the transport owners in Chitta-gong,' added Mozammel.
Source : New Age
