Tk 250m truck terminal lying unused in Sylhet

The long-desired central truck terminal in Sylhet has still remained unused due to negligence of the truckers.

The Tk250-million structure with a capacity of 1,200 trucks stands on nine acres of land in Sylhet city’s South Surma area.

The construction work started in 2013 and the facility was formally inaugurated in 2019.

The truckers as well as all others concerned had huge interest at the time of its construction since resolving the divisional city’s traffic congestion and such other problems was very important.

The terminal now remains mostly empty as the users do not consider it usable for various reasons.

Truckers said although the terminal is built in a vast area of land, it still lacks some basic amenities.

There is no arrangement for resting here; nor is there any washroom, restaurant or even a mosque. That is why truckers do not feel any interest to use the terminal or to go there.

Contacted, the Sylhet City Corporation officials said the terminal was opened formally.

It had been leased out to a private party for operation. It is their responsibility to arrange the required amenities.

Although the terminal is ready for use, the truckers still use roadside places for parking, causing traffic congestion. Especially Chondipul, Kodomtoli and other places area used as parking spots.

Sylhet Zila Truck, Covered Van Sramik Union president Md. Dilu Mia said the truck terminal is open, but the facilities are still not ready.

Even there is no workshop at the terminal or at nearby places for petty repair works, he said, adding “We had raised the issues to the authorities.”

SCC chief engineer Nur Azizur Rahman said that they had leased the truck terminal out to a private party. They will arrange the necessary facilities. In line with a contract with them, some work would be done.

A police official at the Sylhet Metropolitan Police, however, said they had taken steps to stop haphazard parking of trucks in the city areas.

“We had talked to the truck owners and laborers’ organisations, who are not interested in using the terminal yet on the plea of lack of some basic facilities,” he said.

“However, it is located at a distant place from the city. We had also requested the SCC for doing some work to make the terminal functional,” he added.