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NOWADAYS many people have to depend on bus service to go to their desired places. It has become so following the government policy to increase public transports on removal of slow driven paddled vehicles from different roads to reduce traffic congestion. It was necessary to lessen the pressure of small vehicles on major streets and facilitate unhindered and fast movement. But the policy makers committed one blunder -- allowing too many buses on the roads without requiring to maintain any uniform standard. Low standard Indian and Chinese vehicles have been brought in to make the streets chaotic. These vehicles often turn inoperative and pollute the environment with excessive emission of carbon particles and black fumes after running for short periods. To reduce the investment cost by importing these inferior buses, these entrepreneurs have actually damaged the traffic system and rendered its management difficult. These transports do not offer the minimum service to the passengers.
But expensive vehicles are always costly not only for their attractive features but also for their quality and guaranteed longevity -- two very essential characteristics that ensure reliable service to the passengers. One may easily realise this by using Volvo buses including double-deckers. On our streets, reckless driving and applying hard brake are very common and commuters find these inconvenient for sitting or standing properly on board the moving public transports. But Volvo buses give comfort to the commuters as these are rather well structured to absorb the shock of rough driving. Passengers are not plagued by physical discomfort like back-pain or headache. People can remain standing without holding the belts above. They can even continue reading and writing without much of trouble in these buses. Even, this scribe was able to utilise her time on one such bus writing a report unexpectedly smoothly a few days back.
The government should encourage the private sector to import standard transports for public service keeping the matter of passengers' convenience in mind. The craze for hefty return from investment should be removed from and discouraged in this sector.
Monira Alam
Banani, Dhaka
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