Kamruzzaman Bablu :
Bangladesh Railway has dicided to sale its 50 percent tickets through online apps this year with a view to enhancing passenger services.
But passengers alleged that they could not buy tickets using the newly launched apps. Taking this opportunity, blackers taking double fare than the original prices.
On Thursday, it was found that thousands of ticket seekers standing in line at Kamalapur Railway Station for tickets. Long line of public crosses the station’s boundary. It was difficult to identify the ends of the line of ticket seekers. Some ticket seekers reportedly stood in line from Wednesday night.
“I am standing here in line since midnight Wednesday for some tickets of Banalata Express to go Rajshahi on 1 June with my family. Firstly, I have tried through the apps. But after failure to collect tickets through online apps I am came here. Now, I became disappointed to see thousands of ticket seekers like me,” Monsur Mizan told The New Nation on Thursday noon.
Many passengers alleged that the rail authorities do not issue any ticket through their newly laucnched apps ‘Rail Sheba’. Another ticket seeker Iqbal Morshed said, “I tried continuously since last two days for four tickets through the apps to go to Sayedpur on June 2. But I have failed. As a result, I came here after taking Shehree. I don’t know whether I will get tickets or not.”
Passengers complaints that showing online problems, some dishonest employees of the railway station are selling tickets to their appointed blacker. Later, the blacker sold these tickets by double or more then the actual price. So passengers have no alternative but to buy tickets to celebrate Eid festival with their near and dear ones.
“As I tried to buy three tickets using apps, it did not work. Seeing no alternative, I bought three tickets of Dinajpur for June 2 from a blacker paying double fare. Why so fraudness, why so substandrad apps,” asks Riazul Karim, a frustrated passenger.
He said, “We werte assured by the Railway authorites that it will be possible to arrange ticket without hassle. But now we are seeing that this hope is fake. Without ensuring the service quality and technical sides, the railway launched the app.”
Customers, who went to different train tickets selling points in the capital, alleged that the ticket selling process was slow on the counters due to the newly introduced registration process.
Denying the allegation, the Railway authorities claimed that except server problems, there is no annomilies, they added.
“We have found no allegation from passerngers for irregularities of black market of tickets. It is trure that we are facing some problems about using apps. But it will be solved soon,” Aminul Haque, Kamalapur Station Manager, told The New Nation regarding the allegation.
He also said that they asked the CNSbd, the concerned online company, to solve the problem as soon as possible.
According to Rail Bhaban, about two lakh ticket seekers visited the server at a time. This is why the server falls down its network. On the other hand, the server company has only 20,000 browsers capacity at a time. That is why, the server fall down.
For a hassle free train journey for the Eid passengers, the railway announced that half of the tickets would be sold through online apps. Accordingly, on April 28, the Railway Ministry inaugurated an online based apps name “Rail Sheba”
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan on Wednesday admitted the glitch in selling advance train tickets through app and said the unsold tickets will be on sale on the counters after five days.
Tickets for June 1, 2, 3 and 4 will be available on May 23, 24, 25 and 26 respectively.
Besides, return tickets for June 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 will be available on May 29, 30, 31, June 1 and 2 respectively, according to Bangladesh Railway.
The minister also said that tickets which would remain unsold through online, would be available on the counters from May 27.
