Staff Reporter :
Syndicates work methodically to earn crores of taka from the transport sector every year. So, more than one syndicate has been formed comprising transports owners, motor workers and extortionists to plunder Eid holidaymakers’ money charging extra fares.
They might extort about Tk 8000 crore as extra fare from Eid holidaymakers, Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity claimed.
“Syndicates created tremendous anarchies in collecting transports fares in bus, launches and airways from the Eid holidaymakers. Tk 300 to Tk 500 even Tk 1000 extra charging from the passengers leaving city for observing the Eid festival,” said Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, Secretary General of Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity while addressing a press briefing in the city.
Mozammel Haque Chowdhury said, launch fare in deck is Tk 350 in Dhaka-Barisal route but they are now collecting Tk 450 to Tk 500 from each passenger.
Fare of one bed cabin is Tk 1200 but they are now charging Tk 15,00 as minimum. Double bed cabin fare is Tk 2400 but they are now collecting Tk 3000 as minimum.
Similarly in the other launch routes fares are charging abnormally extra, he alleged. Different bus owners have collecting Tk 1800 per seat fare in Dhaka-Rangpur routes instead of the current fare of Tk 1200.
Similarly, Tk 500 to Tk 1000 are charging as extra fare in per seat from Dhaka to other North Bengal districts and southern and western districts passengers.
The Secretary General said that anarchies are high in case of air fares. Different aviation companies are charging extra fares.”The airfare in Dhaka-Barisal route is even more than Dhaka-Bangkok route,” Mozammel Haque said.
US Bangla is collecting Tk 10,800 in this route instead of the current fare Tk 4000. Novoair is charging Tk 8400 instead of the right fare Tk 4800, he said, adding that a section of dishonest persons are selling train tickets with high prices in black markets.
The Jatri kalyan Samity leader has urged the authorities to take action so that the anarchies can be curbed and the Eid holiday makers can get relief.
