Trips reduced due to fuel crisis, truck driver Raju’s wheel of life stopped

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Truck driver Mohammad Raju has been handling the steering for about seven years after working as a driver’s assistant for eight years. In these seven years, Raju has been transporting goods from one end of the country to the other. But Raju’s face is now clearly tired and disappointed. The current fuel crisis seems to be stopping the speed of Raju’s life along with the wheels of the truck.

Raju, a resident of Kabilpur village in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur, was spoken to on Wednesday afternoon at Nimsar, one of the country’s largest raw materials markets in Comilla. He came here with potatoes from Rangpur. When the topic of fuel oil came up, Raju said, ‘This oil crisis has taken away the smile from our faces. Now we are in a state of being kicked in the stomach.

Raju said that the fuel crisis has changed the rhythm of life of thousands of truck drivers like him. Where earlier he could make three to four trips a week, now due to lack of fuel it has come down to one or two. If you never get oil again, you have to sit with the truck for several days. This has reduced their income by more than half. But household expenses did not decrease; Rather increased.

Mohammad Raju, a truck driver, said, “I was sitting for almost two and a half days for oil at a filling station at Dhaperhat in Sadullapur Upazila of Gaibandha near our area. I will go somewhere far away and get diesel, there was no oil. I left the truck in front of the pump meter waiting for oil. Finally received 100 liters of oil last Monday. Then that evening I left for Dhaka with potatoes from Rangpur. On the way, I took another 94 liters of oil at Palashbari. But after coming to Dhaka, I heard that I have to go to Comilla with potatoes. First came to Comilla Chowkbazar and then from there to Nimsar yesterday evening. Potatoes are now being unloaded from the truck after a long wait. I hope to be able to return to Rangpur with as much oil as I have in the tank. I am worried about getting stuck on the road again.

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Talking to Raju, it was learned that he drove the car to the commission with the owner of the truck. At the end of a trip, he is given 20 percent of whatever money is left over after all expenses have been deducted. From this 20 percent he gives a share to the driver’s assistant. Wednesday’s trip came at 26,000 taka. However, more goods are transported from Rangpur to Dhaka. He claimed that even though the price of oil has increased, the rent has not increased that much.

Raju told Prothom Alo, “Earlier, the family would be able to survive with the income of a trip. I used to get 3-4 thousand on some trips. But now the trips are much less. I could not have come on this trip without getting oil after three days of waiting in our area. The biggest problem is in Dhaka. If you go to the pump for oil after three hours of jam and cereals, you will pay Rs 1,000 to maximum 2,000 for oil. Cars as far away as ours do nothing with this oil.’

Mohammad Raju also said, ‘I am currently in a lot of trouble due to this oil crisis. I can’t pay at home. I left the house last Saturday; I can’t go yet. The oil crisis is stopping the wheels of our lives like the wheels of a truck. Didn’t learn anything else. Otherwise, I would have given up this profession. I don’t see any signs of improvement in this situation.” He said, ‘We live on the streets. But no one sees our suffering. If the oil problem is not resolved quickly, it will become difficult to stay in this profession.