Transport operators take advantage of test takers
The port city public transport operators are charging exorbitant fares from the admission seekers while travelling to Chittagong University (CU) for the first-year honours admission test.
Due to the exams, the number of passengers on the route has tripled, and the vehicle operators are misusing the situation, claimed the admission seekers, guardians and CU students.
The crisis escalated because of the lax monitoring by the authorities concerned, they alleged.
The exams began on October 23 and will continue till Monday.
“It's quite hard to find an empty vehicle, and then they charge so much. We remain more worried about the fares or getting a vehicle than the exams,” said Tonni Rahman, an admission seeker from Dinajpur.
Admission seekers Kamrul Hossain and Md Taimum of Noakhali, Rakib Hasan of Kushtia, and Md Sadek of Barisal echoed her.
Not only the admission seekers, but also the students of the university were being forced to pay the extra fare, said students.
While travelling from the university's Gate No-1 area to the city by a human-hauler, this correspondent saw the helpers were charging Tk 30 to go to Muradpur while the fare was Tk 13 previously.
Saiful Islam, a third-year student, who regularly travelled from New Market to CU by bus, said, “Nowadays I have to pay Tk 50 for every trip. It's a huge burden for me…”
Many students echoed him. They alleged that the fare was Tk 18 before starting of the admission exams. The bus operators are charging excessive fare since the admission seekers and their guardians have come from different districts and do not know the actual fare, they added.
This correspondent talked to a dozen of admission seekers who said scuffle over the fare between the passengers and bus helpers has become a regular scene.
Many CNG-run auto-rickshaw drivers were also refusing to run on meters, they alleged.
“I was charged Tk 450 to 500 for travelling from Agrabad to the university's Zero Point area. It would be Tk 220 at best if the driver had used the meter,” said Rafiq Bhuiyan, a guardian of a candidate.
“Due to the rush of admission seekers it's hard to find vehicles and the drivers use it as an opportunity to charge more,” said another guardian Nizam Uddin.
Drivers, however, said during the admission test they face huge traffic jams and end up wasting a lot of time. They have hiked the price to recover their financial loss.
“I have heard about the allegation that some of the drivers are charging exorbitant fare,” said Monjur Alam, president of Chittagong Bus-Truck Owners' Association.
“We have already appointed someone yesterday to monitor the human-haulers,” he said. “Also, if the allegation of charging extra fare is found to be true, steps will be taken against the vehicle operators.”
Contacted, Masood-ul-Hasan, additional police commissioner (traffic) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, said, “Strict measures will be taken against the vehicle operators if they are found charging extra. We will have a meeting with the Chittagong Bus-Truck Owners' Association today regarding the issue.”
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