Returnees count extra money for bus fare in Tangail

Taking advantage of the rush of passengers returning to their workplaces after celebrating Eid-ul-Azha, different bus services in the district have been realising more than the actual fare from the passengers.

The helpless passengers pay the extra money as they have to join work after the holidays.

They alleged that the transport owners and workers were realising almost double the normal fare.

On a visit to the New Bus Terminal in the district on Saturday, this correspondent saw a large number of passengers standing in front of the counters of bus services, including Nirala Super Service, Soniya and Sokal Sandhya services, for buying tickets.

Abdur Rahman, a Dhaka-bound passenger, said he went to the ticket counter of Nirala Super Service and the ticket master demanded Tk 250 instead of Tk 160, which is the actual fare.

"I bought the ticket at the increased price. What could I do? I have to join my office on Sunday," he added.

Another Dhaka-bound passenger Mohammad Ali, who works at a private organisation in the capital, was waiting for a bus of Soniya AC Bus Service. He said he bought an AC ticket for Tk 400 while the normal fare was Tk 250.

Sokal Sondhya, Dhaleswari and Jhatika bus services were also realising almost double the normal fare from the passengers.

Before Eid, the government had declared that no additional bus fare would be realised from the passengers and action would be taken against those who realised additional fare. But the transport owners and workers did not care about the declaration and harassed the passengers for additional fare, several passengers alleged. 

District Bus-Minibus Owners Association General Secretary Rashedur Rahman Tabib told journalists that, like in other places across the country, additional fare will be taken from the passengers in the district for three to four days after Eid.

"The buses return empty to Tangail after dropping passengers in Dhaka. Additional fare is being taken from the passengers to cover the fuel costs of the buses returning empty," he added.