Transport owners render Chittagong container depots inactive

Transport owners and workers are refusing to move containers from privately-operated depots in Chittagong to protest ‘extortion’.

At least 15 groups of truck owners and transport workers demonstrated in the port city on Monday, halting freight movement at the 18 depots.

Since Mar 1, vehicles have been charged Tk 150 while entering the depots, said Safiur Rahman Tipu, a leader of the Truck-Covered Van Owners’ Association, a union of district freight owners.

He told bdnews24.com that depot workers also charge Tk 600-1,300 per vehicle for loading and unloading.

“We have halted all freight work at private container depots from Monday morning to demand an end to this extortion,” said the association’s Organising Secretary Tipu.

On Saturday, transport owners submitted memorandums to the Chittagong Port Authority chairman and other related officers over the issue.

“The transport owners are not allowing any vehicle to enter the depots, so all freight is halted,” Bangladesh Inland Container Depot Association’s Secretary Ruhul Amin told bdnews24.com on Monday.

He, however, said vehicles have to pay Tk 100 while entering the depots, not Tk 150 as the transport owners and workers claim. “It’s Tk 50 for the gate pass and another Tk 50 for parking.”

All depots charge for a ‘gate pass’, but parking fees are only charged at those depots that have the facility, claimed Amin adding the Chittagong port also charges Tk 57.5 for parking.

He said the funds raised from gate passes are used to cover maintenance costs of the depots.

On depot workers charging for loading and unloading, Amin said no operators support it.

“But if anyone pays (workers) to speed up the loading and unloading, that’s his personal matter.”