Leaders and workers of Chokoria-Lama-Alikodom Road Transport Owners’ Committee has called a transport strike for an indefinite period in Lama and Alikodom upazila in Bandarban starting today, demanding discontinuation of carrying passengers on motorcycles.
They said they had been providing transport services to the locals in the two upazilas for last 32 years.
However, recently a local group had purchased over 150 motorcycles and had been charging people Tk300 for a ride on the roads of Chokoria, Lama, Alikodom, Thanchi, Sualok and Gozalia.
Owners and workers of three-wheelers echoed the committee members.
As a result, the owners and workers of bus and three wheelers were counting losses, they said.
Committee Vice President Mohammad Hossain said: “We had sought help from the local administration many times to solve the matter, but we did not receive any result. So, we have called for a strike.”
Officer-in-Charge of Lama police station Shah Jahan Khan said: “We have conducted drives many times to remove the illegal motorcycles from the upazila but the locals protested our move.”