Eid journey Home-goers paying extra fares in all routes

Staff Reporter  :
Alleging that anarchy of realizing extra fares on various routes of roads and waterways during the Eid journey, Bangladesh Passengers’ Welfare Association has demanded to increase the activity of mobile court of Consumer Rights Protection Directorate, BRTA and district administration to stop it without delay.

Secretary General of the organization Mozammel Haque Chowdhury made this demand in a statement sent to the media on Tuesday morning.
He said that the commendable efforts of the law enforcing agencies in controlling the traffic jams and crowding during Eid journey this year have been observed, but the anarchy of collecting extra fare on various routes during the Eid journey is continuing. An additional fare of Tk 300 to Tk 500 was being charged depending on the journey on various routes from Dhaka to North Bengal and South Bengal since Monday. This extra fare was being increased since Tuesday morning.

Almost double fare is being charged per passenger in the routes from Chittagong to Bhola, Lakshipur, Noakhali and North Bengal. Apart from this, passengers from Dhaka to Feni were forced to pay the fare of Dhaka to Chattogram and the passengers of Dhaka to Satkania or Amirabad routes were forced to pay the fare of Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar route. Similarly the passengers from Dhaka to Bogura were forced to pay the fares of Dhaka to Jashore or Dhaka to Satkhira routes.
Like this, short distance passengers are paying long distance fares. Even by the waterways, extra fares have been charged upon the passengers. Even though fare anarchy is continuing like this, there is no administrative action against the anarchists.

He demanded to increase the activity of the mobile courts of the BRTA, Directorate of Consumer Rights Protection, and district administration to stop the anarchy of collecting extra fare from common passengers during Eid journey.

He said that in digital Bangladesh, passengers are still being harassed due to the black marketing of tickets, and unplanned vehicle management.
To prevent this fare anarchy, vigilance teams or monitoring committees are formed every year on Eid occasions in traditional manner by BRTA and BIWTA, but their existence is not found anywhere. He demanded to take effective steps to prevent such fare anarchy as well as to stop unfit buses and launches.