“There will be no market at home today, if there is a market there will be no money for parents’ medicine”
Photo Collected
“Maybe there will be no market at my house today. What will I do with the market, I am sitting for oil all day. If you think about the market, parents will not have money for medicine. And if we think about the money of Oshud, then there will be no market. The words were said by motorcyclist Tariqul Islam.
At around 3:30 pm on Saturday at the Meghna model filling station in Paribag of the capital, I spoke with this motorcycle rideshare driver.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Tariqul Islam said that he stood in line to buy oil at 7 am. Didn’t get oil even at 3:30 pm. Hundreds of motorcycles are still waiting for oil in front of him. He thinks it may take another hour to get his number. This motorcyclist said that since the oil crisis started, he has not been able to transport passengers like before.
Such a situation is not only for Tariqul, but also for other riders who ride motorcycles like him. Many are struggling to meet their household expenses, some are already in debt.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Tariqul Islam said, now days pass by taking oil. Sometimes oil is not available even after waiting for 7 to 8 hours. At the time, the income from 1,200 taka to 1,500 taka was used to transport passengers, now they are getting tired of sitting in the sun all day. These water and food cost about 300 rupees extra.
Tariqul Islam shared a motorcycle ride in Dhaka for 9 years. He said, there are six members in the family including parents, sister and a nephew. Everyone lives in a rented house in Mirpur of the capital. He has to run the household expenses. Even if you could walk before, now it’s really hard. Since the onset of the oil crisis, he has taken a loan of Rs 15,000 to pay rent and meet family expenses.
This motorcyclist said, “I left something in the shop too. Earlier daily income was 1200 to 1500 taka, but now it has reduced a lot. At least three days a week are wasted in getting oil.
Similar words were said by the motorcycle rideshare driver in the capital Dhaka for three years. Innocent. He said that since the beginning of the oil crisis, the rent is not the same as before. On the one hand, hours and hours of time were wasted for oil, on the other hand, most of their fares are now taken by auto-rickshaws due to battery-powered auto-rickshaws plying on all the roads of the capital. As a result, motorcyclists are in a passenger crisis.
Md. Masum said, “Earlier, I used to get Tk 1,500 to Tk 2,000 for riding a bike for 7 to 8 hours, now I don’t get it even if I ride a motorcycle for 12 to 13 hours.” And battery powered auto rickshaws are taking our fare in half. The rent of 300 taka, they leave at 150 taka.
The driver alleged that the battery-powered auto-rickshaws were plying without any kind of license and tax to the government. According to him, these battery-powered auto-rickshaws are also charged with stolen electricity. As a result, their income is high even though they don’t spend much. The number of battery operated autorickshaws is increasing day by day.
Billal Hossain, the driver, quit his job and bought a motorcycle in installments two years ago. This afternoon he told Prothom Alo that his rent has decreased since the oil crisis started. As a result, it has become difficult for him to run the family expenses and pay the installments. So he is paying the installments of the motorcycle by borrowing.
Referring to having to run the family through a lot of tension, Billal Hossain said, “You can sit and pass the day.” And when to beat the rent? What to do, nothing to do. Yesterday I waited for 8 hours and did not get the oil. I stood in line again today at 8 am. It is now 4 pm. This is how the day goes.
Every day, the filling stations of the capital are seen, the queues of drivers for oil are getting longer. Karim and Sons filling station of Motijheel was visited at 11 o’clock today, 409 motorcycles and 279 private cars were waiting for oil at the filling station.
770 motorcycles and 293 private cars were queuing up for oil at the Meghna model filling station in Paribag at 4 pm.
Source: Prothom Alo Bangla
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