Syed Shemul Parvez :
Despite no terminal facilities, the Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) has leased three more terminals in this area. After getting lease, the leaseholders have begun extortion on the city roads instead of offering civic facilities. It seems there are none to stop them.
Sources said the leaseholders are collecting toll from each and every public transport playing on the road. Besides, porter rent is also being taken forcefully everywhere.
Consequently, public transport owners and city experts are calling such incidents as extortion.
The DSCC authority said that they had leased three terminals to collect toll from a certain number of public transports sectors.
The terminals are Sayedabad Bus Terminal, Gulistan-Joykali Mandir (Sayedabad City) Stopover Bus Terminal and Fulbaria Stopover Bus Terminal.
The Gulistan-Joykali Mandir stopover bus terminal was leased at a cost of Tk 2.93 crore and the Fulbaria stopover bus terminal at a cost of Tk 2.50 crore.
The lease order states that the lessee will be able to collect toll from the Gulistan-Joykali Mandir (Sayedabad City) stopover bus terminal.
It has also been said that all buses and minibuses plying on the Dhaka-Sylhet Highway route from Sayedabad City Bus Terminal can be charged fee of Tk 60 only.
Apart from this, the fixed the leaseholders will be able to collect parking fee of Tk 40 from the buses and minibus plying on different routes under Gulistan-Joykali Mandir Stopover Bus Terminal approved by the authority.
On the other hand, the drivers complained of delivery of extortion in all the routes and by routes including the main road of DSCC in the name of toll. The drivers showed their dissatisfaction at the oppressive system.
They said that Tk 200 to Tk 500 is being collected from each vehicle and truck instead of Tk 60 fixed by authority.
Despite knowing all this allegations, the transport department of DSCC is not able to stop the lessees’s extortion.
The toll collectors not only take extortions from the public transportation on the roads. Tk 100 to Tk 300 from per carton is being also collected as the porter’s wages when buyers come to the streets after buying wholesale goods from different markets in the South City areas.
Traders have recently protested in different areas of DSCC for this reason. But the city corporation has not taken any action yet.
According to the sources of the transport department of the DSCC, on October 26 last year, the DSCC invited tenders for the Gulistan-Joykali temple stopover.
On November 11 of the same year, Gulshan Chaka Limited got the lease of this terminal to collect fees and revenue. The tender amount was about Tk two crore 94 lakh.
Though the company got the lease of only Gulistan and Joykali temples’s terminal for collecting toll from vehicles, it is now collecting tolls at Motijheel, Kamalapur, Jurain, Kadamtali, Postagola, Shanir Akhra, Rayerbagh, Konapara, Demra Staff Quarters, Matuail, Meradia, Nandipara, Mothertek, and Jatrabari.
According to sources, Zakia Sultana, the proprietor of Gulshan Chaka Limited, has appointed a sub-lessee to collect toll from these areas.
Besides, even if any passenger wants to carry his own goods in these areas, the porter toll is also being collected by force.
Meanwhile, Aftab Masood, Managing Director of Gulshan Chaka Limited and also husband of Zakia Sultana, said, I am not taking extra money beyond the lease amount and work order. I have 30 to 40 people who are collecting certain amount of toll through company receipts.
Even we do not collect any toll from the truck. No one was allowed for the sub-leased.
But we have come to know that many local influential people are collecting tolls under different names. I have also lodged a written complaint with the DSCC and the local police department in this regard.
But the local traders have complained that the leaseholder is collecting tolls from the front of shops. If a trader takes goods from their factory to the shop, the toll is also being taken from there.
Earlier on October 20, the traders of Bangabazar blocked the road to protest against this allegation.
Even a complaint has also been lodged with the mayor.
Himachal Paribahan’s helper Gias Uddin said, I used to drive a bus from Tongi to Sayedabad. Though I didn’t use the terminal, I had to pay toll at Sayedabad.
Director of the Policy Research Institute Sarwar Jahan said that collecting toll by leasing roads outside the policy is one kind of extortion. The lease should have been given only after ensuring all the facilities a terminal should have. Leasing without doing so will increase extortion on the roads, he added.
Bipul Chandra Biswas, General Manager (Transport), DSCC, said, “I have heard about irregularities on leasing at the Gulistan-Joykali Mandir (Sayedabad City) stopover bus terminal.
“I have however, called the people of the contractor organization and warned them. No one complained of writing yet.
Legal action will be taken if any complaint or evidence is found. He added, “Toll cannot be collected from trucks, private cars, microbuses, pickups and autorickshaws in the terminal area. Toll cannot be collected from any road outside the terminal, he added.
ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, Chief Executive Officer of Dhaka South City Corporation, said, “No bus terminal or parking space has been leased in the Dhaka South City Corporation’s Gulistan-Joykali Mandir (Sayedabad City) area.” Lease has been given only for certain area stopover bus terminals and certain transports. I have not received any complaint of collecting extra toll.
