FE Report

Defying the government-fixed rate, private bus operators are charging 18-38 per cent extra for advance tickets ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr to be celebrated on July 06 or 07, aspirants said.

Also, the government's diesel price reduction has no effect as the home-goers are not getting any benefit ahead of the festival, sector insiders said. 

There has been an appreciable ticket price hike for journey to the districts under Rangpur, Rajshahi and Khulna divisions, according to the ticketing booths of the private operators.

The private bus companies started selling advance bus tickets from June 20. Tickets of June 27 to July 05 were being counted as Eid tickets.

Bus fares for journey to different districts have been increased by Tk 80 (Rangpur) to Tk 150 (Panchagarh) per ticket while air-conditioned (AC) bus fares have been hiked by Tk 150 (Rangpur) to Tk 400 (Panchagarh) per ticket.

Md Ishtiaq Kabir Chowdhury, a government bank official, told the FE that he bought two tickets of Nilphamari for July 02 of Nabil Paribahan at Tk 720 per ticket whereas the price is Tk 600-Tk 620 normally.

Md Mahfuz Alam, a paint company official, said he has got ticket of SR Travels for Panchagarh of July 03 at Tk 820 per ticket while the normal price is Tk 680-Tk 700. 

Mr Alam said AC tickets of Panchagarh has been increased to Tk 1,450 per ticket - Tk 400 higher than the normal price.   

According to the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) rates, bus fare for Nilphamari is Tk 620 and for Panchagarh is Tk 700.

The private bus operators had earlier assured the communication minister that the fare would not be hiked.

However, Manager of Nabil Paribahan Md Shafiq told the FE that the price of Eid ticket is the same as that of last year.

He said most of the buses will have to return empty for which they are just charging Tk 50-Tk 60 higher per ticket.

He said none of the ticket seekers has any complaint.

Bus Truck Owners Association president Md Faruqe Taklukder Sohel said members of the association should not take any benefits from Eid-goers.

The passengers should make complaints to law-enforcement agencies on any price irregularities, said Faruqe, also one of the owners of the private operator Sohag Paribahan.

He said fare of his bus company hasn't been increased by a single penny. He urged the authority concerned for taking stern action against any price hike of tickets.

Passengers' Welfare Association secretary general Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury told the FE that none of the inter-district buses are complying with the official rates fixed by the BRTA.

The common passengers are being hostages during the festive occasion, he said.

He said fare for Rangpur should not be more than Tk 480 per ticket but the price is now Tk 680 to 700 at different bus counters.

He said lack of BRTA vigilance gives the bus operators opportunity to take advantage of situation.

Consumers' Association of Bangladesh (CAB) secretary Humayun Kabir Bhuiyan said the government has recently reduced diesel price by Tk 3 per litre.

"Consumers are not getting any benefits from the price reduction. A bus operator can now save Tk 400-Tk 450 from every trip to distant districts like Chapainawabganj or Bagerhat," he added.

He also stressed the need for strict monitoring to give the home-goers some sort of relief.

tonmoy.wardad@gmail.com

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Source: The Financial Express