BANGLADESH-TRANSPORT: ROAD TRANSPORT REVOLUTIONISES INDUSTRY

DHAKA, Dic 16 (IPS) - A BULLOCK CART AND TIRED RICKSHAW PULLER AMBLE DOWN A DUSTY ROAD IN THE RURAL STRETCH SURROUNDING THIS CITY TILL THEY ARE STARTLED BY THA LOUD BLOWING OF A HORN.

THEY STEP ASIDE TO LET A SHINY NEW IMPORTED LUXURY COACH WHIZ PAST WITH ITS COMPLEMENT OF PASSENGERS. THE COACH AND MANY OTHER SUCH SLICK VEHICLES ARE NO LONGER ODDITIES IN THIS SOUTH ASIAN NATION'S LANDSCAPE.

RUN BY PRIVATE OPERATORS, THEY ARE SLOWLY CHANGING THE FACE OF THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY IN THE COUNTRY.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS AND BRIDGES OVER THE PAST FOUR DECADES IN A COUNTRY CRISS-CROSSED BY HUNDREDS OF RIVERS AND CANALS, HAS LAID DOWN A VIABLE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT MANY PRIVATE VEHICLE OPERATORS ARE KEEN TO MAKE USE OF.

THE OPENING OF THE 1.5 KM LONG BRIDGE OVER THE MEGHNA AND GUMTI RIVERS SOME 40 KMS EAST OF THIS CITY LAST MONTH SPLICED AN HOUR OFF THE JOURNEY FROM DHAKA TO THE IMPORTANT PORT CITY OF CHITTAGONG.

THE 78 MILLION DOLLAR BRIDGE BUILT WITH JAPANESE AID ALSO ELIMINATED THE LAST FERRY SERVICE BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES. NEARLY 5,000 VEHICLES PASS OVER THE BRIDGE EVERYDAY.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF AT LEAST A DOZEN SMALL AND BIG BRIDGES ON THE DHAKA-CHITTAGONG HIGHWAY OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS HAS CUT DOWN THE JOURNEY TIME BY HALF FROM EIGHT TO FOUR HOURS.

THOUGH PRIVATE INVESTMENT IN ROAD TRANSPORT IS STILL BELOW DESIRED LEVELS, INTENSE COMPETITION AMONG TRANSPORTERS HAS MADE MANY OF THEM IMPORT THE LATEST LUXURY COACHES FROM THE UNITED STATES AND WESTERN EUROPE.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROAD TRANSPORT HAS BEEN SUDDEN AND DRAMATIC MAINLY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE HOPPING INTO BUSES FOR INTER-CITY TRAVEL RATHER THAN TAKING THE GOVERNMENT-RUN INEFFICIENT RAILWAYS.

THE PASSENGER-LOAD OF THE RAILWAYS CLIMBED DOWN FROM 100 MILLION IN 1982 TO ONLY 45 MILLION IN 1992. THE VOLUME OF FREIGHT DECLINED FROM THREE MILLION TONNES TO 2.5 MILLION TONNES IN THE SAME PERIOD.

RAILWAY MINISTER OLI AHMED SAYS HE WORRIES THAT THE 132-YEAR OLD BANGLADESH RAILWAYS MAY SOON BE CLOSED DOWN IF IT CONTINUES TO INCUR THE LOSSES IT HAS BEEN RUNNING UP OVER THE PAST DECADE.

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