Rajshahi Road Transport Owners' Association Monday launched a "special" service as battery-run auto-rickshaw drivers' walkout has brought misery to the city roads.

Commoners – especially students and office-goers – faced travel delays and disruption as hundreds of battery-run auto-rickshaw drivers, who play a vital role in keeping the city moving, walked off their job Sunday morning, demanding fare increases to "offset soaring inflation."

During the ongoing walkout, the passengers alleged that they faced hours-long waits on the road for vehicles and a few three-wheelers that were still running charged extra fares, leading to altercations between them and drivers throughout the city.

"Amid travel delays and disruption, the special city bus service was introduced. Initially, 30 buses started giving services to the commoners Monday afternoon," Shafkat Monjur, president of the road transport owners' association, said. 

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"We launched the service on our own. However, we are yet to fix the fares and are not sure about for how long the special service will continue," he added. 

"We will discuss these issues with Rajshahi City Corporation. For the time being, our priority is to ease the sufferings of the people."