Volunteers who contribute to this website range from the new to the very experienced. Longtime volunteers are often the ones documenting cases in detail. Newer volunteers contribute by sharing with readers something about migrant workers’ lives and their home countries. It is rare for Singaporeans to know much about migrant workers’ home environments, and interviews like these fill the gaps.
On a Thursday evening, I step out from the cool confines of my MRT train and exit onto the streets of Little India, the residual warmth of the day’s sun still lingering in the air. From the station, I took a short walk to the restaurant on Rowell Road where TWC2’s Cuff Road Project is hosted. There, I speak to Bangladeshi workers from places I have never heard of: Barisal, Jhenaidah, and Brahamanbaria. We talk travelling between cities and towns in Bangladesh, getting around their hometowns, and commuting here in Singapore.
Bangladeshis from all corners of the country come to the capital city of Dhaka in droves every day for work, education, government services, and more. For those living near the rivers of Bangladesh, ferries are a popular mode of long distance travel to the capital. Large ferries can carry thousands of passengers up the Meghna River towards Dhaka. With tickets available at various price points, passengers who want a more comfortable trip may pay more for a private cabin. Food kiosks and shops are also available on board these large vessels.
Another common way to travel across the country is via bus. Expressways are always packed with vehicles going in and out of Dhaka – traffic congestion is almost always guaranteed. Travel time is rarely predictable, subject to the severity of the road jams, sometimes extending the ride by additional hours, or even doubling the usual travel time. During these bus rides, there are pit stops that allow passengers to go to the toilet or have a meal. On the road to Dhaka, it is not uncommon for buses to be stopped by unofficial barricades set up by gangsters to extort passengers for money, something that Singaporeans can hardly imagine.
As Bangaldesh’s capital continues to grow and develop, changes to public transport infrastructure can be seen throughout the city. Four-lane road that were once jammed with heavy traffic have since been expanded to eight lanes in order to better accommodate more vehicles (and will likely be jammed again soon). More recently, the city been investing in a metro system. One line is already in operation, with several more to follow in the coming years. Like Singapore’s, the train cars are air-conditioned for the comfort of passengers.
With only one line for the metro system, local buses are far more popular. Bus fares are cheap and paid in cash. Buses aren’t air-conditioned, and they are considerably smaller than the average bus in Singapore. One worker warns that pickpocketing is a risk standing in crowded buses. Despite this, he praises Dhaka’s bus and transit system; it is convenient, efficient, and decently integrated throughout the city, he says.
In the course of our conversation, I am quickly introduced to several vehicles that are quite unfamiliar to us in Singapore. Three-wheeled vehicles are a common and affordable mode of transport in Bangladesh, with variations found throughout the country. These include motorised rickshaws, locally called CNGs (Compressed Natural Gas – their fuel source), and which look rather like the tuk-tuks of Thailand; electric-powered rickshaws known as easy bikes; and cycle rickshaws that are manually powered by the driver’s pedalling. These vehicles are typically of a smaller size, allowing them to manoeuvre through traffic and narrow lanes more easily than standard cars. They vary in size and passenger capacity, ranging from two-seaters to six-seaters.
One of the workers lives in the town of Brahmanbaria, but his family home is in a village about five kilometres away. It’s a simple ride away on an easy bike, he explains. Easy bike is almost the only way, he says, because the village is so small that there are no local buses. Everyone either walks or cycles within the village. He shares that his wife regularly ferries their school-aged son to and from school by hailing easy bikes. When his younger daughter wants to join them on the commute, the three of them squeeze together snugly in the two passenger seats.
In Singapore
Here in Singapore, the workers share with me how easy it is for them to get around our small island nation. Buses and MRT lines are interconnected throughout the country, making travelling for them very efficient. They find that the buses and trains are reliable and comfortable. Though comparatively pricier, the workers comment that public transport is still affordable in Singapore. In comparison to Bangladesh, workers find that taking public transport here is a much more pleasant experience.
One of my interviewees recently sustained a leg injury and has since been handicapped whilst awaiting further medical treatment. He shares that commuters are gracious in offering up their seats for him, as well as other elderly, injured, and pregnant passengers. He also mentions that he can sometimes book Grab cabs with his friends as they are able to find reasonable rates. However, despite these commendable aspects of Singapore’s public transport, many migrant workers still face difficulties when tasked with commuting between their dormitories and worksites. Since these locations are often in remote areas, feeder bus services can be infrequent and inconvenient. They gently make the point that even though Singapore’s public transport system is highly efficient, there is still room for improvement to better serve all commuters.
I don’t want to hold back my interviewees too long from their dinner. We have to take our leave and it’s time for me to go home. What would it be like, I wonder, to be taking a breezy rickshaw ride? In the meantime though, I will have to be content with the fact that even if I have to sandwich myself between MRT commuters at the end of the work day, I get air-conditioning. Singaporeans are pampered.