Students of Jagannath University (JnU) are increasingly struggling with inadequate transport facilities, faulty buses and mismanagement, disrupting their daily commute and affecting their academic activities.
The university has only one student hall for around 18,000 students.
As a result, most students rely on university buses to commute from different parts of Dhaka and surrounding areas.
However, the shortage of buses and manpower has made their journeys increasingly difficult.
Students said they had repeatedly demanded additional buses on various routes, but their concerns had yet to be adequately addressed by the university administration.
Many are consequently forced to use public transport, exposing themselves to additional safety risks.
The daily commute is also increasing their mental stress and affecting their ability to attend classes and examinations regularly.
According to sources at the university’s transport department, JnU has a total of 48 buses, including 36 owned by the university and 12 rented from the Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC).
Of these, 29 buses are allocated to students, 12 to teachers and five to officers and employees. Two buses are kept in reserve for repairs and emergencies.
Four buses operate shuttle services for students at 11:00am and 12:30pm. Another four buses provide shuttle services for teachers and officials on different routes.
The buses have varying capacities, with some accommodating 42 passengers, others 52, and double-decker buses carrying up to 75 passengers.
Students Face Overcrowding on Routes Outside Dhaka
Seven buses are allocated for regular student commutes from areas outside Dhaka. One bus operates on each of the Manikganj, Savar, Narsingdi, Munshiganj, Louhajang, Cumilla and Dohar-Nawabganj routes.
In addition, only two buses serve around 750 students of the As-Sunnah Residential Project.
Students travelling on these routes said the pressure on buses was considerable, with many having to travel in overcrowded conditions or stand throughout their journeys.
They said the situation had worsened following the admission of students in the new academic year.
They have demanded at least one additional bus on each route to ease the pressure.
Driver-Helper Shortage Hampers Transport Services
The transport department has 43 drivers and only 15 helpers for its fleet of 48 buses. The shortage of manpower has made it increasingly difficult to maintain regular bus services across the university’s routes.
According to transport department sources, repeated applications have been submitted to the University Grants Commission (UGC) seeking approval to recruit additional drivers and helpers, but approval has yet to be received.
Meanwhile, temporary employees from different university departments are performing helper duties on an hourly basis.
Officials concerned said the manpower shortage had put considerable pressure on the transport department.
They said even granting essential leave to drivers and helpers had become difficult, as the absence of a single driver due to illness could disrupt services on the affected route.
Drivers and helpers assigned to shuttle services also have to perform additional duties alongside their regular trips, further increasing their workload.
Students Voice Frustration Over Daily Commutes
Mustakim Rahman, a residential student of the As-Sunnah Merit Project who studies in the Department of Economics in the 2022-23 academic session, expressed frustration over the transport situation.
“Many students regularly travel by bus from the hall, and sometimes the buses lean to one side. Sometimes the driver or helper is sick. With the shortage of buses, we have to travel in overcrowded conditions regularly.
On top of that, how will so many students travel if there are not enough drivers and helpers? Who will we go to and tell about this suffering? We have repeatedly asked for new buses but have not received them,” he said.
Students commuting regularly from Uttara and Gazipur also said they spend around five to six hours a day travelling to and from the university.
They said they often have to stand for half or even the entire journey because the number of buses is insufficient for the number of passengers.
The situation is further aggravated by frequent breakdowns of old and poorly maintained buses, students alleged. Such incidents disrupt their attendance at classes and examinations while adding to their daily stress.
Transport Department Seeks Permanent Solution
An official responsible for the transport department, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the bus shortage had been a longstanding problem that could not be permanently resolved without purchasing new vehicles.
“The shortage of drivers and helpers is further exacerbating the transport problem. If a driver falls ill, the bus operating on the relevant route has to be taken off service. Sometimes, even when drivers or helpers are seriously ill, we cannot grant them leave because of the manpower shortage,” the official said.
Budget Cuts Add to Transport Challenges: VC
Asked about the issue, Jagannath University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Md Rois Uddin acknowledged the transport difficulties faced by students, particularly because of the university’s limited residential facilities.
“The transport problem is more obvious for us due to the lack of residential facilities. We have many buses, but they are insufficient for the number of students,” he said.
The vice-chancellor also said the government had cut the transport sector’s budget by 30 percent as part of efforts to save fuel, adding to the challenges of addressing the crisis.
Despite the budget cut, the university was trying to improve its transport services, he said.
“Already, 12 buses operated on rent through BRTC are in operation, and efforts are being made to increase this number,” he added.