A powerful transport syndicate has started extorting Tk832.30 crore from over 15 million Eid travellers as "tips," forcing them to pay exorbitant extra fares, according to a report by the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.
The report, presented by the organization’s Secretary-General Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters’ Unity on Wednesday, highlights widespread fare irregularities across road, rail, water and air transport.
Eid travel rush and fare anarchy
Between March 20 and March 31, approximately 227.4 million passenger trips will take place in Dhaka, driven by Eid shopping and travel to home districts. Of these, 15 million people will leave Dhaka for their hometowns.
Despite government efforts to regulate fares, 98% of public transport operators are charging excessive amounts, the report states. Fare hikes are primarily attributed to inflation, extortion, employee Eid bonuses, and owners’ profit motives.
Besides, the absence of passenger representatives in monitoring teams has made oversight ineffective.
Breakdown of extra fare collection
Road Transport
- Long-distance buses and minibuses: Tk90 crore extra from 3 million passengers (Tk 300 per passenger).
- City buses: Tk12 crore from 4 million trips (Tk30 per passenger).
- CNG auto-rickshaws: Tk60 crore from 3 million passengers (Tk200 per trip).
- Battery-powered and pedal rickshaws: Tk160 crore from 80 million trips (Tk20 per passenger).
- Leguna, Duranta, Diganta (human hauliers): Tk16 crore from 8 million trips (Tk20 per passenger).
- Ride-sharing motorcycles: Tk250 crore from 25 million trips (Tk100 per trip).
- Private cars, jeeps, microbuses: Tk21 crore from 20,000 trips (Tk3,500 per trip).
Water Transport
- Launches and boats: Tk80 crore extra from 4 million passengers (Tk200 per passenger).
- Ferries and river crossings: Tk100 crore from 100 million trips (Tk10 per passenger).
Rail Transport
- Train roof passengers: Tk80 lakh from 80,000 passengers (Tk100 bribe per passenger).
- Passengers without tickets: Tk7.5 crore from 250,000 passengers (Tk300 per bribe).
Air Transport
Domestic flights: Tk35 crore from 100,000 passengers (Tk3,500 per passenger).
Call for reforms
The Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity emphasised that the fare hikes are exacerbating the cost of living, encouraging corruption, and increasing road accidents.
To curb these issues, it urged authorities to introduce digital fare collection, ban cash transactions, use CCTV for fare monitoring, and improve transport governance.
Press conference attendees
Present at the press conference were newly elected Chairman Dr Mohammad Zakaria, former Election Commission secretary Syed Ahmad, former Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority executive director Mahmudul Hasan Russell, and Mohammad Alauddin Masud.
