Editorial Desk :
Passengers’ welfare platform Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity alleged that transport owners, workers and extortionists are looting Tk8,000crore through overcharging and extortion from the Eid holiday-makers across the country during this Eid-ul-Fitr, said a report published in this daily yesterday. According to the report, the total number of trips on highways, waterways and airways has been estimated to be around 60 crore, which will take place from 25 April to 10 May. If the extortion continues on highways, holidaymakers have to spend more as travel fare which eventually cut their budget for the festival.
According to the platform, rickshaw fares in urban areas have increased by an average of 20% since 25 April and it is likely to surge further. At the same time, fares of battery-run auto-rickshaws have doubled and even tripled in some places. Human haulers (laguna) on all routes are also collecting double than usual fares from passengers. The fare anarchy has reached its peak. Dhaka-Barishal airfare now costs more than that of the Dhaka-Bangkok route. On this route, US-Bangla Airlines is currently charging passengers Tk10,600 per flight, which was Tk4,000 earlier. Similarly, Novoair has raised the Dhaka-Barishal fare to Tk6,400 from Tk4,800. Biman Bangladesh also raised the ticket price to Tk8,400 from Tk3,000. Despite such injustice, consumers’ associations and government remain reluctant.
Taking advantage of the public transport crisis, a strong syndicate has been formed under the leadership of some unscrupulous businessmen. The government has not been able to stop such rent anarchy despite various efforts as some dishonest members of the law enforcement agencies are also involved here. Rail tickets are being sold on the black market. Meanwhile, people are standing in queues for long hours to get tickets at rail
stations and the online tickets are running out so quickly, leaving tens of thousands ticket seekers in despair.
During Eid rush around 1.15 crore people left Dhaka. It is expected from the government to have supervision to ensure illegal charges on tickets and outright extortion by gangsters. We have no government alive to act, corruption being the main job. A half dead nation has a half dead government.
