Authorities are curbing small vehicles from plying on the Natore-Pabna highway following Saturday’s devastating road crash; mounting sufferings on locals.

Three-wheelers like easy bikes and CNG-run auto-rickshaws, and illegal human hauliers were being barred since yesterday, our local correspondent reports.

Banpara Highway Police Outpost Sub-Inspector Habibur Rahman confirmed The Daily Star of the standing bar; put in place in wake of the crash that killed 15 people.

However, in absence of any alternative mode of transportation, locals have been forced into a troublesome state with little means to go about or transport goods.

The Daily Star found septuagenarian Tijiman Dewa on the road, walking from Hapania to Banpara – a distance of 20 kilometres – for treatment purpose. “I am an old woman, ill. How is it possible for me to walk that far?”

Another woman, Asma Begum, was finding it hard to travel from Kadamchilan to Kanchikata – a distance of 30 kilometres – in absence of any vehicles.

Stranded likewise and forced to walk on foot, Nargis Begum, walking for five kilometres, told The Daily Star that the government must introduce an alternative mode of transportation soon, “otherwise it will be unbearable” for the locals.

Shamima Islam, 55, who was returning from Banpara on foot with her daughter, also echoed the same when talking to The Daily Star. “It is so difficult to walk this far. There are no vehicles. We want to urge the authorities to introduce alternative transports.”

Haraf Ali, a businessman, said now the businessmen too are in trouble because there is no means to transport their raw produce from one place to another.

When will the sufferings end? Well there has been no concrete answer to that.

Mostafizur Rahman, superintendent of Bogra zone highway police, told The Daily Star that the authorities have discussed the problem with bus owners. “We want to assure everyone that an alternative transport system will be available soon.”

He maintained that police will keep small and illegal vehicles off the highways in the region.