Most of the long-distance bus operators will start selling advance tickets from August 3 ahead of Eid while booking of tickets at the airlines have neared end.
Some other bus operators said they would soon announce when they would begin to sell advance tickets with Eid-ul-Fitr likely to fall on August 20.
Launch operators are likely to sit today to fix the date of selling advance tickets while Bangladesh Railway has yet to announce its schedule in this regard.
Meanwhile, law enforcers have come up with vigilance plans to prevent Eid passengers from being harassed
in getting tickets.
‘We would set up makeshift camps at locations like Gabtali bus terminal and Kamalapur rail station to prevent ticket touting and passenger harassment,’ said the Rapid Action Battalion’s intelligence wing director, lieutenant colonel Ziaul Ahsan.
Additional forces will be deployed in both uniform and plainclothes at these spots, he added.
Shohagh Paribahan and Eagle Paribahan, companies that operate non-air-conditioned and AC coaches from Dhaka to Barisal, Khulna and Chittagong, are likely to announce the dates in one or two days when they would start selling advance tickets, staff said.
Officials of AK Travels running coaches on Dhaka-Khulna and Dhaka-Satkhira routes echoed Shohagh and Eagle staff.
Other bus operators said they had already set the date and places in the capital where their tickets would be available.
Hanif Enterprise general manager Abdus Samad Mondol said they would start selling advance tickets at Gabtali bus terminal from August 3. From this day on the passengers would get tickets for travels starting from August 14.
Shyamali Paribahan, TR Travels and SR Travels will also start selling their tickets from August 3.
Of these, Shyamali and TR run coaches on the Dhaka-north Bangal routes with the former operating on 30 different destinations in that region.
TR Travels northern route manager Shahidul Islam said their tickets will be available at their Darussalam counter.
Green Line Paribahan staff said they were selling tickets on ‘first come first serve basis’.
As in the previous years this year also Eid ticket fares will be higher than they are in normal period with the operators saying that the buses on their return to Dhaka will be almost empty.
Tickets at all the three airline companies, Bangladesh Biman, Regent Airways and United Airlines, operating domestic flights will soon be sold out as bookings are going on fast, said the officials.
The three operators run flights for six destinations, including Chittagong and Jessore, from Dhaka.
Regent Airways assistant sales manager Mizanur Rahman said
their tickets on Dhaka-Jessore flights in August 10-18 had been sold out with 50 per cent seats still available on Dhaka-Chittagong route.
At United Airways, tickets on Jessore-Dhaka flight in August 14-19 has all been sold while on Rajshahi-Dhaka routes tickets are no more available in August 14-21 flights.
The Biman, which operates flights for Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Sylhet routes only, however, on Sunday said their tickets were still available.
Bangladesh Inland Waters (Passengers Carrier’s) Association senior vice president Mohammad Badiuzzaman Badal said they would sit today to set date of selling advance tickets.
BR director-general Abu Taher told New Age that they would very shortly announce their ticket-selling schedule with putting it on the major dailies.
-With New Age input
