Public transport workers staged a protest at a special traffic police drive against unauthorised vehicles and illegal parking in Chattogram city, blocking roads with vehicles on Saturday.
The protest seriously disrupted vehicular movement in the city for nearly four hours before the police intervened and restored normalcy.聽
From about 10:00am, the protesters by placing vehicles scatteringly blocked one or both sides of a road stretch starting from Muradpur crossing to the entrance of Bahaddarhat, stalling vehicular movement through the road stretch, which is a lifeline of the city鈥檚 road network connecting other districts, including Cox鈥檚 Bazar, and different upazilas of Chattogram.
Among the protesters were drivers and workers of CNG-run auto-rickshaws, human haulers and city buses, the police said.
The demonstrators stated that they staged the blockade protesting at the excessive fines imposed by traffic sergeants, particularly for parking violations. They complained that most crossings in the city, including Muradpur, lack designated parking spaces, forcing them to pick and drop passengers on the roadside.
They claimed that traffic police officers in the city slap fines for different violations that range from Tk 5,000 to Tk 8,000. They also said that drivers have to pay the fines as vehicle owners do not pay them.
The Chattogram Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner (north) of its Traffic Division, Jainul Abedin, said that they were conducting a special drive since the start of Ramadan as directed by the CMP Commissioner, targeting unauthorised public transport and illegal parking.
On Saturday morning, a checkpoint was set up at Muradpur where several auto-rickshaws, human haulers and city buses were fined for violations.聽
鈥楾he fines were imposed as per law, but the workers refused to pay and demanded that no further operations be conducted during Ramadan. They also misbehaved with traffic officials before blocking the roads,鈥� the CMP DC said.聽
The blockade started at Muradpur crossing where vehicles were left scattered across both lanes. Around an hour later, officers from the Panchlaish police intervened and dispersed them. The protesters again gathered at the entrance of the Lalkhan Bazar-Muradpur flyover near Bahaddarhat, blocking one side of the road.聽
Panchlaish police officer-in-charge Mohammad Solaiman said, 鈥楩iling cases and imposing fines under traffic rules are
lawful procedures. We advised the protesters to voice their concerns through their respective organisations.鈥�
