Transport operators in the capital have increased fares for long-distance routes during the Eid-ul-Fitr rush, flouting a government directive.
The private bus companies start selling advance tickets for Eid today.
Employees of different transport companies at Gabtoli said they would sell a ticket for Dhaka-Meherpur route at Tk 520, Dhaka-Bogra route at Tk 380, Dhaka-Kushtia route at Tk 520, Dhaka-Ishwardi route at Tk 450 and Dhaka-Rangpur route at Tk 590.
But, according the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority chart published on January 21 this year, fare on Dhaka-Meherpur route is Tk 488.51, Dhaka-Bogra route is Tk 292.63, Dhaka-Kushtia route is Tk 246.98, Dhaka-Ishwardi route is Tk 324.53 and Dhaka-Rangpur route is Tk 462.28.
Transport companies at Sayedabad terminal have fixed Tk 500 as fare for Dhaka-Sylhet and Tk 500 for Dhaka-Khulna routes. According to the BRTA, these fares are Tk 378.31 and Tk 319.92 respectably.
Mahakhlai terminal transport operators have fixed Tk 250 for a ticket of Dhaka-Sirajganj route which is Tk 201.28 according to the government fixed fare.
The employees said that these fares were fixed by the Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners’ Association.
The association treasurer, Kamal Hossain, said the BRTA fare had been fixed for 52-seat buses.
‘But we have turned these buses into 40-seated ones for giving passengers a little bit comfort. And that is why the buses charge extra fares,’ he added.
The road transport authority director (engineering), Mohammad Saiful Hoque, said there was no fare chart for the 40-seated so-called chair coaches.
‘We have fixed fares only for 52-seated buses and all the transport owners should go by the fare chart,’ he added.
Meanwhile, the bus companies and Bangladesh Railway are set to start selling advance tickets today.
Bangladesh Bus-Truck Owners’ Association treasurer Mohammad Kamal Hossain told New Age recently that they would start selling advance tickets for northern and southern areas from July 26 (today) from Gabtoli bus terminal.
Transport operators at Mahakhlai and Saydabad terminals do not follow any fixed date for selling tickets.
Shaymali Paribahan Gabtoli branch employees confirmed that they would start selling advance tickets for northern and southern districts today.
‘We will sell tickets from July 26 to July 28 for journey on August 4 to August 8,’ an employee said.
‘The sale of advance tickets for Sylhet and Chittagong will begin on August 1,’ said a Hanif Enterprise employee.
Shohagh Paribahan Private Limited officials said they were yet to fix the date for selling advance tickets.
The railway authorities would sell advance tickets for journey between July 31 and August 15.
The railways authority say that advance train tickets will be sold on July 26 for journey on August 4, on July 27 for August 5, on July 28 for August 6, on July 29 for August 7 and on July 30 for August 8.
These tickets, which are of intercity trains, will be available for passengers from 9:00am on those days. A person can buy a maximum of four tickets.
-With New Age input
