BANGLADESH Road Transport Authority (BRTA) as the regulatory body for road transport services has fixed passengers’ fare to be charged in public transports, but a number of bus services in capital Dhaka and Port city Chittagong offer ‘seating service’ at nearly double the fare. Media reports on Thursday said they are cheating passengers in total violation of standard fare rates under the cover of the so-called ‘gate-lock seating service’ or ‘non-stop’ services. In fact there is nothing like it in BRTA service rules and dishonest bus owners and workers are exploiting the passengers while the law enforcers are keeping their eyes shut. It is almost open secret that they are organized in powerful syndicates where regulators, traffic police, powerful bus owners and trade union leaders are working together to exploit the passengers. They are minting illegal fortune but since most transport owners are ruling party men enjoying a kind of impunity they are free to run buses overloaded, manipulate fares and overlook traffic regulations. It appears there is none to protect passengers’ interest. Even there is growing confusion whether common people will benefit from reduced fuel price despite the government announcement in this respect few days back. Buses run overcrowded in the city despite the claim of so-called ‘gate-lock, bus services. They are violating the rules as they take passengers from many unscheduled stoppages. Moreover, as per BRTA fare chart a 52-seater bus running on CNG in Dhaka and Chittagong Metropolitan areas should charge Tk 1.60 per kilometer and a minimum fare of Tk 5 but they charge much higher. It applies to almost all sorts of vehicles plying on different city routes. Moreover tickets show more mileage than actual on many routes and passengers are paying for it. Even the BRTC operated buses run with overcrowded passengers and misleading reports on ticket money is rampant. BRTC buses offer air condition services on many routes but the cooling system often does not work although passengers pay for tickets at higher rates. Such anomalies and discrimination are not justified and acceptable. But it seems that there is none to see the irregularities when cheating of the passengers is going non-stop. In our view the BRTA must assert its authorities to put control on exploitation of passengers in city streets. It may put at work mobile courts and increase inspectors’ check up in running buses to make sure that buses are not running overcapacity and nobody is charging fares at higher rates. The joint initiative of law enforcers, traffic police and transport owners and workers may play the desired role to ease the situation. Public awareness campaign is also a must to resolve the problem.
