Although the Ministry of Railways has introduced a 25% fare discount for senior citizens and persons with disabilities on intercity train services, many beneficiaries say the initiative does little to address the practical barriers they face while travelling.
The ministry issued a notification on May 24, and the new concession came into effect the following day. While the move has been welcomed as a positive step, persons with disabilities say the scheme’s impact is limited by the inability to purchase discounted tickets online, the requirement to buy them in person at railway station counters, and the absence of reserved seating facilities.
Disability rights advocates argue that the new policy leaves several long-standing challenges unaddressed and, in some cases, curtails benefits that were previously available.
Travel costs outweigh the discount
Passengers with disabilities noted that they were already entitled to a 50% fare concession in Shovon and Sulov classes of intercity trains. Under the new policy, a 25% discount has been extended to air-conditioned (AC) classes. However, the concession can only be obtained by purchasing tickets directly from railway station counters.
For many passengers, particularly those with mobility impairments, the requirement imposes additional financial and physical burdens.
Imran Hossain, a wheelchair user, told Dhaka Tribune: “The government is offering a 25% or 50% fare discount, but the benefit is not available online. For someone like me, travelling to a railway station just to buy a ticket is a major challenge. In many cases, the transportation cost to and from the station exceeds the amount saved through the discount.”
He further said: “Even though I have a Subarna Card, a family member cannot purchase a ticket on my behalf. Under the current rules, I must be physically present at the counter. There is also no assurance of getting a seat after reaching the station, as there is no reserved quota for passengers with disabilities.”
‘Buying tickets online at full fare is more practical’
Alif Hossain, a visually impaired employee of a non-governmental organisation in Dhaka who frequently travels to his hometown in Saidpur, Nilphamari, said he often opts for convenience over the fare concession.
“I usually buy tickets online and pay the full fare because it is more practical,” he said. “The time, effort and additional expenses involved in travelling to a station counter to obtain a discounted ticket often outweigh the financial benefit.”
He also highlighted the challenges faced by persons with disabilities during peak travel seasons.
“During Eid holidays, when all tickets are sold online, discounted tickets for persons with disabilities are effectively unavailable because they cannot be obtained from counters. As a result, many of us are deprived not only of the discount but sometimes of tickets altogether,” he said.
Alif suggested reserving a fixed number of seats for passengers with disabilities on every intercity train. “At least 20 seats should be allocated on each train exclusively for eligible passengers with disabilities,” he added.
Concerns over removal of caregiver benefits
Disability rights advocates have also expressed concern over the removal of fare concessions for caregivers accompanying passengers with disabilities.
Jahangir Alam, senior coordinator at the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), said that under the previous arrangement, caregivers travelling with persons with disabilities were entitled to a 50 per cent fare concession.
“That provision has been withdrawn under the new policy,” he said. “Many people with severe or multiple disabilities cannot travel independently. If their caregivers are no longer eligible for any concession, the overall cost of travel rises significantly.”
Calls for digital inclusion
Advocates say the issue reflects a broader gap in digital accessibility and inclusion.
“At a time when Bangladesh is promoting digital transformation, persons with disabilities are still excluded from a basic public service,” Jahangir said.
He noted that the Department of Social Services maintains a database of nearly four million registered persons with disabilities. “If the government is committed to inclusion, it can easily integrate this database with the national identity (NID) system and the railway ticketing platform, allowing eligible passengers to access fare concessions online,” he said.
In its notification, the Ministry of Railways said it plans to introduce online access to the concession in the future by integrating its ticketing system with the Ministry of Social Welfare’s disability database.
However, many persons with disabilities and rights advocates remain sceptical, noting that similar assurances have been made for years without visible progress. Rather than another promise of future implementation, they are calling for immediate measures to make discounted rail tickets available online and remove barriers preventing eligible passengers from accessing the benefit.