Ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, the number of passengers at different bus terminals in the capital have started to increase.
Transport officials said that due to the growing trend of purchasing tickets online, bus counters are not as crowded as before. However, they believe passenger congestion will increase once garment factories close for the holiday.
A visit to the Gabtoli bus terminal on Wednesday revealed that while homebound passengers were waiting for buses, their numbers were relatively low.
Those who purchased tickets online arrived at their designated times and boarded the buses directly, reducing congestion at the counters.
At Sayedabad bus terminal, the number of passengers was low in the morning but began to increase in the afternoon.
Md Shahadat Hossain, sales officer of SR Paribahan in Kallyanpur, said that passenger numbers on buses have decreased in recent days due to higher demand for train travel.
He added: "The rise in online ticket purchases has resulted in less crowding at counters. Most passengers now buy their tickets in advance and board their buses at the scheduled times."
Kishore Kumar, counter master of Shyamoli NR Paribahan, said that since the Eid holidays are extended this year, passengers are returning home gradually.
As a result, bus terminals have yet to experience extreme congestion, he added.
However, he expects a surge in passenger numbers starting Thursday.
Due to the convenience of booking tickets online in advance, passengers are facing fewer difficulties this time.
Lutfor Rahman, a passenger traveling to Rangpur, said: “I booked my ticket online in advance, so I had no trouble. I also got my preferred seat and didn’t have to wait long for the bus.”
