Public transport owners to pocket extra Tk832cr as ‘Eid tips’ on tickets: Report
98% of public transport services are reportedly involved in overcharging
Highlights
- Tk200 extra per passenger is being charged on average
- 1.5cr people to leave Dhaka during Eid
- These travels are between 20 and 31 March
- 22.74cr trips expected across road, rail, water, air transport
- 98% of public transport services overcharging
- Water transport sees highest passenger volume
- 40 lakh to travel from Sadarghat, N'ganj river port, other terminals
- Bribery, extortion among factors behind fare exploitation
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Passengers will be footing an extra Tk832.30 crore for "Eid tips" or extra fares this Eid-ul-Fitr, according to a report by the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association.
On average, this will come to around Tk200 per passenger.
Presenting the findings at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity yesterday, the association's Secretary General Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said approximately 22.74 crore trips are expected across road, rail, water, and air transport in and around Dhaka between 20 March to 31 March for Eid travels.
An estimated 1.5 crore people would leave Dhaka for their hometowns on the occasion, he added.
The monitoring committees, which include transport owners but exclude passenger representatives, have failed to prevent the fare exploitation.
Despite efforts by government agencies to ensure a smooth and safe travel experience, passengers are still being overcharged.
The association found that 98% of public transport services are involved in overcharging, even though drivers, assistants, and other transport staff have already received their salaries and Eid bonuses from daily fare collections.
Several factors contribute to the fare extortion, including rising commodity prices, bribery and extortion in the transport sector, additional costs imposed by transport companies, extra Eid bonuses collected from passengers, and greedy transport owners seeking excessive profits, Mozammel said further.
The study indicates that water transport will see the highest passenger volume. Around 40 lakh passengers will travel from Sadarghat, Narayanganj river port, and other terminals via 200 small and large vessels.
To tackle fare exploitation, Mozammel suggests implementing digital fare collection to eliminate cash transactions, installing CCTV surveillance on highways, and ensuring strict law enforcement against overcharging. Without action, he warns that the extra fares will lead to economic strain, social unrest, corruption, and increased road accidents, disproportionately affecting low-income passengers.
