Barishal-Kuakata route: No direct bus service causes tourists sufferings

Kuakata-bound tourists suffer a lot due to the lack of direct bus service between Barishal and Kuakata.

The tourists can easily reach Barishal by bus, launch or air from any part of the country. But their suffering starts after arriving Barishal when they find no direct bus service to Kuakata.

There are some bus services from Barishal to Kuakata but they are not tourist-friendly as they halt at numerous places on the way to Kuakata.

A direct bus would take at best two hours to pass the 90-kilometre road from Barishal to Kuakata, whereas the local buses take around four hours, according to drivers of buses operating on the route.

Tourists come to Kuakata round the year. If comfortable air-conditioned buses are operated on the route, the number of tourists coming to the country's second biggest sea beach would increase significantly, said Motaleb Hossain, secretary of Hotel and Motel Owners Association of Kuakata.

He said, "Many tourists complain about the time-consuming bus service, but we have nothing to do. We have contacted the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority repeatedly, demanding AC bus service on the route for at least twice a day – in the morning and the afternoon, but in vain."

Shakil Ahmed, a tourist from Jashore, said, "After reaching Barishal, we found that there is no direct bus service to Kuakata. All the buses on the route are local buses which would take a lot of time. We need direct bus service to save our time and shorten the journey."

"I had to rent a private car to go to Kuakata for Tk5,000, due to lack of good bus service. If there was direct bus service, Tk500-600 would be good enough for two persons," said Shahin Khan, a private job holder from Madaripur.

"I often go to Kuakata. Due to the unavailability of a good transport service, I have to go by motorbike which is very risky," said Rubel Molla at Rupatoli bus stand in Barishal.

Barishal Bus and Mini-Bus Owners Association Secretary Kawser Hossain Shipon said, "We have been planning to operate a special bus service on Barishal-Kuakata route for the tourists. We are going to purchase some air-conditioned buses very soon. Hopefully, our service will be launched within June."

The service would remove the suffering of the tourists, he hoped.