No Direct Bus Service Between Kaukhali and Barishal, Thousand of Passengers Face Hardship.

No Direct Bus Service Between Kaukhali and Barishal; Thousands of Passengers Face Hardship. Riad Mahmud Sikdar, Kaukhali Correspondent Thousands of passengers are facing immense hardship due to the absence of a direct bus service between Kaukhali Upazila in Pirojpur and the divisional city of Barishal. Every day, numerous people travel from Kaukhali to Barishal for official work, advanced medical treatment, higher education, and business purposes. However, the lack of direct buses forces them to switch vehicles multiple times to reach their destinations. This results in wasted time and additional travel costs. Locals report that although the distance between Kaukhali and Barishal is relatively short, the lack of direct public transport compels passengers to first travel to Naikathi or Rajapur using small vehicles like auto-rickshaws, Mahindras, or motorcycles. From there, they must board a bus to Barishal. This process causes particular suffering for women, children, the elderly, and the sick. Md. Shahidul, a medicine trader from Kaukhali North Bazar, states that he has to visit Barishal two or three times a week for business-related purchases and banking tasks. However, without a direct bus, he must first travel to Naikathi or Rajapur by auto-rickshaw or motorcycle and then catch a bus to Barishal. This consumes both extra time and money. He also faces added inconvenience when transferring vehicles multiple times while carrying merchandise. He urged for the immediate launch of a direct bus service between Kaukhali and Barishal. Mainul Huda, a service holder who commutes regularly, mentions that he often needs to take his elderly father to Barishal for medical treatment. The absence of a direct bus means having to switch vehicles repeatedly while transporting a sick patient, which exacerbates the patient's physical discomfort. He believes the situation is particularly distressing for women, children, and the elderly, and that a direct bus service would significantly alleviate these problems. Naim and Ferdousi, students from Kaukhali attending Barishal Government Brojomohan (BM) College, noted that many students from Kaukhali study at various colleges and universities in Barishal. They are forced to leave home at the crack of dawn to make it in time for morning classes and examinations. However, the lack of direct bus services leads to significant time loss due to the need to change vehicles en route, while also driving up travel costs. They have urged the authorities to introduce regular direct bus services, particularly during the morning and afternoon hours, to accommodate students. Local residents complain that although there are transport links from Kawkhali to destinations like Dhaka and Pirojpur, no direct public transport system connects the area to the divisional city of Barishal. Consequently, people traveling to Barishal for medical treatment, education, business, or official and private engagements face constant hardship. Affected passengers and concerned locals believe that launching a direct bus service between Kawkhali and Barishal would greatly facilitate travel for the region's residents. It would save both time and money while alleviating the long-standing difficulties faced by patients, students, businesspeople, and professionals. They have called upon the relevant transport owners' associations and the administration to take prompt action in this regard.