Transport minister's claims fall flat as passengers distressed by rampant 'overcharging'

Despite the transport minister's claim that no extra fares were charged during the Eid rush, passengers have alleged widespread overcharging, with evidence found even on state-run BRTC buses.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam recently said fares remained fair during Eid, adding that in some cases passengers were even charged less than the fixed rates.

However, visits to major bus terminals in Dhaka, including Sayedabad, Gulistan, Gabtoli and Mohakhali between Tuesday and Wednesday revealed a different scenario.

Passengers alleged that both private operators and Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) buses charged fares higher than the approved rates.

On Thursday evening (19 March), Faisal Hossain bought a ticket from the BRTC counter at Gulistan for Barishal. While the usual fare is Tk 600, he was charged Tk1,000. Similar complaints were reported by many passengers travelling on BRTC buses to Barishal since afternoon.

Responding to the issue, Barishal BRTC depot manager Julfikar Ali said two special buses had been deployed for Eid, which have fewer seats, allowing slightly higher fares but not as high as Tk 1,000.

He alleged that a syndicate involving drivers, helpers and others at ticket counters was attempting to raise fares ahead of Eid.

Visits to several BRTC buses also found overcrowding, with passengers being carried beyond seat capacity. In some cases, additional passengers were seated using stools. Zulfikar admitted that drivers and helpers were responsible, driven by the hope of earning extra income during Eid.

BRTC Chairman Abdul Latif Mollah acknowledged the irregularities, saying, "This should not have happened. Taking extra fare is unjust. I have instructed that the excess fare be refunded."

Although some buses reportedly refunded extra fares following the directive, the issue of carrying extra passengers remains unresolved.

Meanwhile, after visiting different bus terminals, the transport minister reiterated that fair fares were being maintained, even claiming that in some cases fares were lower than fixed rates remarks that drew sharp criticism from passengers.

Mozammel Haque, Secretary General of the Jatri Kalyan Samity, termed the minister's remarks "rhetoric," alleging that he was being influenced by bus owners.

"Bus owners are dictating what the minister says in front of the media. This Eid, fares have doubled or even tripled in some cases, yet the minister claims fares are below fixed rates," he said.

Mozammel also alleged a lack of passenger representation during ministerial inspections and expressed concern that the association might be sidelined in favour of bus owners.

According to a report by the association, passengers may have to pay an additional Tk148 crore in fares this Eid, potentially the highest in two decades as overcharging has been reported on nearly all routes from Dhaka.

However, State Minister for Road Transport Habibur Rashid dismissed the report, claiming no complaints of overcharging had been received. "Action will be taken if any complaint is found."

Passengers, however, said otherwise. Mehedi Hasan Sabuj, who bought a ticket on a private bus to Patuakhali, said that previously passengers could pay reduced fares if they got down earlier, but this time they were forced to pay full fares regardless of destination.

Another passenger, Mardia Maria, criticised the authorities, saying, "There is no real monitoring. What the ministers are doing is nothing but a show. It is not improving discipline; rather, the situation is worsening."

Passengers urged the authorities to acknowledge the problems and take effective measures instead of relying on "showdowns" and outdated approaches to ensure discipline in the transport sector during peak travel periods.