The Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh (PWAB) has reported that additional fares amounting to Tk 832.30 crore will be collected from passengers during the Eid-ul-Fitr journey this year.
The travel period, from March 20 to 31, is expected to see approximately 227,490,000 people travelling across various modes of public transport, including road, rail, water and air, with many heading to Dhaka and surrounding areas for Eid-related activities such as shopping.
PWAB's Secretary General Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury shared the findings in a report presented at a press conference on Wednesday at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU).
The report highlights that around 1.5 crore people will be travelling from Dhaka to their home villages during Eid. Despite efforts by various government agencies to ensure safe and smooth travel, including efforts to curb illegal fare hikes, passengers are still facing a prospect of spending an extra amount of Tk 832.3 crore for their journey out of Dhaka alone.
If additional fares across all metropolitan areas and inter-district routes are taken into account, the total amount collected could be ten times higher.
The PWAB's Sub-Committee on Monitoring Excess Fare Collection has been closely tracking the situation since March 20. Their findings reveal widespread fare increases on all modes of public transport, despite government measures to prevent such practices.
The PWAB observation reveals that despite government regulations setting fixed salaries and allowances for drivers, assistants, and two Eid bonuses, these measures are ineffective. As a result, 98 per cent of public transport is charging extra fares this Eid. While monitoring teams are in place to oversee fare collection, they lack passenger representatives, leaving passengers' interests unprotected.
This Eid, 30 lakh passenger trips on long-distance routes by buses and minibuses from Dhaka are paying an additional fare of Tk 300 per passenger on average. As a result, passengers on long-distance routes will have to pay an extra Tk 90 crore in total for bus and minibus travels.
The observation has also shown that this Eid, the highest number of passengers will travel by waterways. Around 40 lakh passengers will travel to various destinations across the country on 200 small and large boats via different docks, including Dhaka's Sadarghat and Narayanganj river ports. Passengers are being charged an additional fare ranging from Tk 50 to Tk 1,000 per person depending on the class. If an average additional fare of Tk 200 per passenger is collected, these passengers will have to pay an extra Tk 80 crore.
Additionally, before Eid, passengers travelling in 20,000 CNG-run auto rickshaws in the capital will have to pay over Tk 60 crore in extra fare for around 30 lakh trips. Battery-operated rickshaws, e-rickshaws, and pedal-rickshaws are collecting an additional Tk 20 per passenger under the guise of an Eid bonus. The PWAB believes that nearly 8 lakh e-rickshaws, battery-operated rickshaws, and pedal-rickshaws in the capital could facilitate eight crore trips. Passengers in these vehicles will have to pay an extra Tk 160 crore in total.
Meanwhile, around 7,000 human haulers, known by various names such as Laguna, Duronto and Diganta, operating in the capital, will charge an additional fare of about Tk 20 per passenger for around 80 lakh trips under the name of an Eid bonus. As a result, over Tk 16 crore will be collected as extra fare from passengers using human haulers in Dhaka.
Besides, around 25 lakh passengers are travelling to their villages by motorcycle this Eid to avoid the problems of public transport shortages, excessive fare charges, not getting tickets on time, traffic jams and various other hassles. About 30 per cent of them are using their own bikes. In Dhaka city alone, passengers using 5 lakh ride-sharing motorcycles are paying an average of Tk 100 more per trip compared to regular fares. They are charging Tk 250 crore extra fare from 2.5 crore passenger trips.
The report also said that despite various measures taken every year to prevent passengers from travelling on the roofs of trains during Eid, a large number of low-income people still risk their lives and travel on the roofs of trains to save money. Around 80,000 passengers will travel on the roofs of trains from Dhaka this Eid.
Each of them will have to pay at least Tk 100, totalling Tk 80 lakh, as bribes to railway officials.
Additionally, about 2.5 lakh passengers will travel without tickets in canteen wagons, between two bogies, and inside the coaches. Passengers will have to pay an average of Tk 300 per person, totalling Tk 7.50 crore in bribes to the TTEs, guards, government and private stewards, private canteen operators, GRP, NRB, and ticket checkers working on the trains and stations.
On the other hand, the festival of collecting additional fares on government and private flights has been going on since 10 days before Eid. At least one lakh passengers are charging an additional fare of Tk 3,500 per passenger on domestic routes, amounting to Tk 35 crore.
On the occasion of Eid, the leaseholders of the ghats collect a fee of Tk 5 from the general public for water transport and ferry crossings at various launches and piers, including the Sadarghat river port, at the rate of Tk 10 to Tk 20. During this time, a coolie charges Tk 500 to Tk 1,000 for ferry crossings or boarding launches with goods. A fee is demanded for each packet of Eid bazar at the pier crossings.
The PWAB has observed that 10 crore trips will ferry passengers from Sadarghat and Narayanganj river ports this Eid. These passengers are being harassed by collecting an additional fee of Tk 100 crore at the rate of Tk 10 per head and looting the passengers as they wish. Private lessees and corrupt officials of BIWTA are sponsoring these lootings.
To overcome this, it is important to introduce digital fare collection in public transport, stop cash transactions, introduce prosecution using CCTV cameras on roads and highways and ensure rule of law.
