A battle to reach home
Dhaka residents struggling amid dearth of public transport, high fares
Due to a lack of public transport, Md Asif had to change vehicles several times to reach Gulistan from Mirpur. He had to take a rickshaw ride, get off and then on a Laguna, and finally just walk to his destination.
He said he could not use auto-rickshaws due to their high fares.
Not only Asif, thousands of people are going through a similar situation. Those who want to leave Dhaka to celebrate Eid with their loved ones are especially suffering.
Buses running in Gabtoli, Sayedabad and Gulistan areas are not taking short-distance passengers. They are also collecting extra fares for going to terminal areas.
On the occasion of Eid, public transport vehicles that usually run inside Dhaka are now going to nearby districts. As a result, they are not interested in carrying passengers travelling within Dhaka.
Buses running in Gabtoli, Sayedabad and Gulistan areas are not taking short-distance passengers. They are also collecting extra fares for going to terminal areas.
Anisur Rahman, who wanted to go to Gabtoli from Motijheel, said, "I'll go to Rajbari for Eid. So, I want to go to Gabtoli by bus. But the conductor wants Tk 80, when the regular fare is Tk 30.
Talking to several others, it was learnt that Tk-30 fares are now Tk 70 to 80, and passengers are still having trouble finding transport. Auto-rickshaws and rickshaws are being hired much more.
Rashedul Amin, who came to Sayedabad by auto-rickshaw from Rampura, said, "I was forced to come here paying three times the regular fare. Capitalising on this crisis is inhumane. This happens every Eid, but no one does anything to stop it."
Passenger Welfare Association, in a statement, made similar claims yesterday. It said since Thursday evening, fares of city buses have been increased by five to six times in some cases.
Tk 300 bus fare was being taken to go from Uttara to Sayedabad, when the regular fare is Tk 50. Passengers had to pay Tk 200 instead of Tk 30 for Shyamoli to Gulistan. Fare of Tk 25 for Dhanmondi to Sadarghat rose to Tk 200, it mentioned.
However, Khandaker Enayetullah, general secretary of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association, said the allegations of overcharging are not true. Some isolated cases may have occurred, which is another matter.