Facing uncertainty in their income and a lack of stability in their overall quality of life, bus drivers, and assistants involved in the public transport system have been impacted by the lack of fair labour policies in the country.
Since the majority of public transport is operated by private sectors, there are no standard wages and effective work management. As a result, these essential workers struggle to secure a stable livelihood.
In Dhaka, most of the bus drivers and assistants earn a mere Tk3,000 per day, but this amount is significantly reduced as they have to pay the vehicle owners and pay extortion on various roads in Dhaka.
Therefore, to increase the income, the transport workers carry extra passengers, compete with other buses, and create chaos on the roads by driving recklessly.
Besides, at the end of the day, some of these workers spend a large part of their daily income on drugs and gambling at the bus stands because they have cash in hand.
Fixed income not guaranteed
Awal Hossain, the driver of a “Shikar Paribahan” bus, said the rule of the work is they have to take buses under contract and have to deposit their income to the owners at the end of their shifts.
“I have been driving for 20 years. I used to drive a ton of bad vehicles, but now I drive very good ones. But the rule is the same. We have to bring all the money to the owners at night. After that, what is left is mine and my helper's.”
Bangla TribuneMentioning that they have to spend two days with a single day's income, “Khajababa Paribahan” bus driver Nur Islam said: “The rule is, if you drive one day, then you take the next day off. Hence, we have to survive on one day's income for two days.”
“Suppose, on good days, if we manage to get more passengers then we can get Tk1,200-1,500, and sometimes even Tk18,000. But, if you calculate, it's not a lot if we have to survive with it for two days. Nothing can be done with this amount of money in this economy,” he added.
He also said that rickshaw pullers make more money than bus drivers, and they also do not have to face harassment.
A “Bihanga Paribahan” bus driver said they constantly have to worry about their incomes plus the owner's deposit.
“If owners said bus drivers would only drive, rather than take all the other responsibilities, a system would emerge. If you put all kinds of worries in my head, and ask me to run, then it is impossible,” he added.
He added that drivers should only worry about how to get passengers to their destinations safely.
No fixed hours, no opportunity for rest
Bus drivers and assistants said that public transport workers do not have fixed working hours.
They are required to work from morning until evening, taking as many trips as possible while navigating the challenging traffic conditions in Dhaka.
Additionally, they mentioned that upon completing their work, it often extends late into the night as they have to return the deposit money and car keys to the bus owners.
A “Mirpur Link” bus driver Faisal said that they have to work up to 18 hours a day, without any breaks. “We start in the morning, go home at night, and hit the road again the next day. Now we are forced to drive for long hours as we need money for our families.”
Bangla TribuneAnother driver from “Bikash Paribahan”, Nazrul said: “We can manage only three trips during the day. If we want to take rest in between, then we will not get time to drive as we spend most of the time in traffic.”
No support for accident victims
Workers said they do not get any compensation if they are physically injured in any accident.
They claim that under the guise of worker welfare, many collect various sums of money, yet when public transport workers or their family members are injured or killed in accidents, they receive no compensation.
In this regard, a bus driver, Zafar, said they pay money ranging from Tk10-60 in the name of a protection scheme, but they are never informed about the recipients of these funds.
He said: "I have never come across a situation where a bus driver or assistant injured in an accident received even Tk10 as assistance."
Kausar, another bus driver, mentioned that it is only fellow workers who step up in times of danger for their colleagues.
He further explained that workers also have limitations when it comes to making donations, considering their income.
Daily income drained by extortion
Public transport workers mentioned that a part of their daily income is spent on paying extortions on the road.
They reveal that a substantial amount, approximately Tk500-600 per day, is obligated to be paid as extortion at various points of their routes, severely impacting their income.
Bangla TribuneThese extortion payments are reportedly collected by individuals associated with various public transport associations and local political parties.
According to a helper of a "Mirpur Link" bus, they are forced to pay at eight to ten locations along the Mirpur 12-Azimpur route. "There is no future in this profession, as our income remains uncertain.”
The general secretary of the Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, Osman Ali, said that the public transport workers are the most neglected.
Working in RMG factories has a fixed working time. But they don't have it. After all this trouble there is no space for parking and no time to rest. No one cares about the welfare of these transport workers.”
