Transport owners threaten strike

Transport owners have threatened to go on a strike if authorities fail to repair Dhaka-Chittagong highway by Tuesday.

The owners held a meeting with Chittagong Superintendent of Police on Thursday on safety issues on the nation's busiest highway.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Inter-district Bus Owners Association Secretary Kafil Uddin Ahmed said, "The Dhaka-Chittagong highway is in terrible state. If it stays like this, people heading home for Eid will suffer. Our vehicles are also damaged by these potholes and cracks."

If the government does not repair the highway within next Tuesday, all transport services will be off the road, he said.

Kafil Uddin said the decision had been made for the sake of commuters.

On June 28, the local administration and transport leaders in Chittagong told the communications minister about the poor condition of the highway at a views exchange meeting.

They told Communications Minister Obaidul Quader the ongoing work to convert the highway into four lanes has been causing terrible traffic congestions since the beginning of monsoon.

The potholes and cracks on the highway were causing frequent accidents and congestion, they said.

Transport workers said it took them 17-20 hours to travel the 465 km highway.

Following the meeting Quader instructed the Roads and Highways Division to open a control room to coordinate repairs and traffic management on the highway. He also instructed a road repairs team to be on the highway round the clock and talked about borrowing cranes from the Chittagong Sea Port to remove broke- down vehicles.