Transport owners, workers and extortionists are looting Tk8,000 crore from the Eid holidaymakers this year, passengers' welfare platform Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity (BJKS) claims.
Transport owners, on the other hand, denied the allegation, saying that they were not overcharging passengers, reports Deutsche Welle.
Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury, secretary general of BJKS, said that the total number of trips on highways, waterways and airways was estimated to be around 600 million from April 25 to May 10.
Of the trips, a total of 400 million trips will be by road and rail while the rest by air.
He said that, altogether, Tk30,000 crore had been taken out of the pockets of the passengers in the form of fares out of which “Tk8,000 core is being taken out unlawfully”.
He further alleged that 30% of the sum being collected unlawfully would go to extortionists and some members of the police. “This is why, the passengers do not get any solution and get harassed when they file a complaint,” Mozammel added.
DW found such claims to be true, as bus counters were seen overcharging passengers in front of police members at Mohakhali bus terminal in the capital.
The reporter came across rowdy transport workers when he asked why the passengers were being overcharged. Police members on duty refused to take action and asked the reporter to file a complaint to a higher official instead.
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Mozammel alleged that the US-Bangla Airlines was charging passengers Tk10,600 per flight on Dhaka-Barisal route which was Tk4,800 earlier. “Airfares in other routes have also been hiked for Eid travel,” he added.
Md Kamrul Islam, general manager-public relations at US-Bangla Group, said: “There is an issue of lack of understanding. Tickers are cheaper when bought in advance and costlier if bought later. This is the norm worldwide.”
He, however, admitted that adjustments had been made in ticket fares due to the rise in jet fuel prices.
Mozammel claimed that, taking advantage of the public transport crisis, bus counters were charging two to three times more than the usual ticket prices.
He complained that rail tickets were also being sold on the black market.
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Meanwhile, thousands of people had to wait in long queues for hours to get tickets at rail stations while the online tickets were running out very quickly, leaving tens of thousands of ticket-seekers in despair, he added.
DW found the claim to be true as buses leaving Dhaka for Chuadanga, Bogra, Rajshahi and other cities were overcharging passengers Tk300-500 each.
Passengers were forced to pay Tk1,600 extra as cabin fare on Dhaka-Barisal launch route. It was Tk1,200 before the Eid season.
Khandaker Enayet Ullah, secretary general of the National Road Transport Owners Association of Bangladesh, admitted that some bus companies were overcharging the passengers.
He also claimed that many companies had charged passengers lower than the threshold in the past due to competition. “Now, during the Eid season, some companies are making use of the threshold. Therefore, passengers are complaining of being overcharged.”
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Companies that operate from outside the town were difficult to monitor, he admitted, saying: “Buses do not get return passengers during the Eid which hampers their profitability.”
Mahbub Uddin Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Inland Waterways Passenger Carrier's Association (BIWPCA), claimed that the launches were still charging the passengers the fare fixed by the government. “But because they were charging less previously, passengers are complaining of being overcharged now,” he added.
Commenting on the matter, Mozammel alleged that the public transport owners had been charging passengers beyond the government-fixed rates even before the prices of fuel oil increased globally.
“They increased ticket prices further after the rise in fuel oil prices. Moreover, during the Eid, they are charging passengers at their whim,” he added.
Meanwhile, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Saturday said that this year's Eid journey would end in comfort as the overall condition of the country's roads and highways was better than ever before.
On buses charging extra fares, Quader, also the ruling Awami League general secretary, said that he had asked the authorities concerned to conduct mobile courts against errant bus operators.
